Rumsfeld to Step Down as Defense Secretary (William Branigin)

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Bush Taps Former CIA Director Robert Gates as Successor

By William Branigin -- Washington Post

Nov. 8, 2006 -- President Bush today announced he is replacing Donald H. Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, saying a "fresh perspective" is needed at the Pentagon to deal with the war in Iraq.

In a White House news conference a day after midterm elections delivered the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate, to Democratic Party control, Bush said he has chosen former CIA director Robert Gates to succeed Rumsfeld.

"Now, after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon," Bush said.

Rumsfeld, a principal architect of the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq, had become a major focus of criticism for Americans dissatisfied with the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq. Democratic leaders, and even some Republican members of Congress, had called on Bush to replace Rumsfeld, who has been criticized by many military analysts for failing to dispatch enough troops to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 to combat the insurgency.

Appearing later at the White House with Rumsfeld and Gates, Bush said Rumsfeld would "continue serving until his successor is in place" because the nation "cannot be without a strong and steady hand" at the Pentagon in a time of war. The earliest that Gates could be confirmed by the Senate is in January.