Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will step down from his position at the Pentagon

[Acebb]

Useless POS worried about global warming

Washington (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will step down from his position, a senior administration official confirmed to CNN Monday.
Hagel, who has served in this position since February 2013, was forced out by President Barack Obama, CNN confirmed from several sources.
White House officials, however, are portraying this as a mutual decision.
Administration officials said there was a series of discussions over the past several weeks with the President, initiated by Hagel. The talks covered a "broader discussion of national security for the next two years," a defense official said

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Hagel will have to suck it up and stay on or there will be no defense secretary. Same with Holder.

I doubt any of Obama’s nominees will ever be confirmed.

Payback is a bitch.

 

[russ1945]

Hmm. The only Republican on the cabinet. Go figure. Wonder if this had anything to do with it:

He raised the ire of the White House in August as the administration was ramping up its strategy to fight the Islamic State, directly contradicting the president, who months before had likened the Sunni militant group to a junior varsity basketball squad. Mr. Hagel, facing reporters in his now-familiar role next to General Dempsey, called the Islamic State an “imminent threat to every interest we have,” adding, “This is beyond anything that we’ve seen.” White House officials later said they viewed those comments as unhelpful, although the administration still appears to be struggling to define just how large is the threat posed by the Islamic State.

 

[superbeets]

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel shakes hands with President Barack Obama at the White House today

 

[superbeets]

The president said Hagel has agreed to remain in his position until a successor is nominated and confirmed. For that, Obama said, he is “extraordinarily lucky and grateful.”
“When I asked Chuck to serve as secretary of defense, we were entering a significant period of transition,” Obama said. That transition included the drawdown in Afghanistan, the need to prepare our forces for future missions, and tough fiscal choices to keep our military strong and ready.
Last month, Obama said, Hagel came to him to discuss the final quarter of his presidency. It was then that Hagel initially determined that, having guided the department through this transition, it was an appropriate time for him to complete his service, the president added.





A Steady Hand
“Over nearly two years, Chuck has been an exemplary defense secretary,” Obama said, crediting Hagel for providing a steady hand during the modernization of the administration’s strategy and budget to meet long-term threats, while still responding to immediate challenges such as ISIL and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Hagel said he is “immensely proud” of what the department has accomplished during his tenure.
“I believe we have set not only this department, the Department of Defense, but the nation on a stronger course toward security, stability and prosperity,” the secretary said.





Privileged to Serve
Hagel called his opportunity to serve as defense secretary the “greatest privilege of my life.”
In the meantime, Hagel said, “I will stay on this job and work just as hard as I have over the last couple of years, every day, every moment, until my successor is confirmed by the United States Senate.”
The United States of America can proudly claim the strongest military the world has ever known, Obama said.
“That’s the result of the investments made over many decades, the blood and treasure and sacrifices of many generations,” he said. “It’s the result of the character and wisdom of those who lead them as well, including a young Army sergeant in Vietnam who rose to serve as our nation’s 24th secretary of defense.”

 

[superbeets]

Here is the text of the secretary’s statement:
I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that this morning, President Obama accepted my letter of resignation. I have agreed to continue to serve as Secretary of Defense until my successor is confirmed by the United States Senate.
You should know I did not make this decision lightly. But after much discussion, the President and I agreed that now was the right time for new leadership here at the Pentagon.
I want you to know that I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together. We have prepared ourselves, our Allies and the Afghan National Security Forces for a successful transition in Afghanistan. We have taken the fight to ISIL and, with our Iraqi and coalition partners, have blunted the momentum of this barbaric enemy. We have come to the aid of millions of people around the world who have suffered the ravages of natural disaster and of disease. We have worked tirelessly to sustain our all-volunteer force that has given so much during 13 years of war. And we have bolstered enduring alliances and strengthened emerging partnerships, all the while setting in motion important reforms that will prepare this institution for the challenges facing us in the decades to come.
Most importantly, we have helped keep this country and our fellow citizens safe. We have sustained the blessings of liberty our ancestors secured and upheld the oath we took.
That work will continue. It must continue. The world is still too dangerous, the threats too numerous, for us to lose focus. And even as I promised the President my full support going forward, so, too, do I promise that I will work hard to support you right up until my last day in office. I owe you that.
There will be time later to say farewell. For now, please know how much I respect and admire your service and that of your families. As I gather with my own family this Thanksgiving holiday -- a luxury I realize not all of you will enjoy -- it will be the privilege of having worked with you these last two years for which I will be most grateful.
Thank you for all you do for this country. God bless you. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[russ1945]

To close out his tenure Obama only wants to be surrounded by kool aid drinkers. This is in response from the recent butt kicking at the bowls which is all on him. If you think there was a lack of transparency before that election just watch what happens now.

 

[ScottL]

Wow, a body language expert could have a field day with just the expression on Hagel's face. He is extremely uncomfortable for starters.

 

[Acebb]

[h=1]With Chuck Hagel’s departure, Obama is turning into George W. Bush[/h]
As with Bush, the ouster comes as a war in the Middle East is going badly — then, the Iraq war, now, the bombing of the Islamic State terror group. Rumsfeld’s ouster led to the surge in Iraq, and Hagel’s departure comes amid signs of an expanded role for U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. And, as under Bush, this guarantees that Obama will leave his successor an ongoing U.S. war in the Mideast — quite possibly the sort of ground war Obama vowed to undo.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-with-hagel-departure-obama-morphs-into-george-w-bush/2014/11/24/d9ac4026-7409-11e4-a5b2-e1217af6b33d_story.html

LMFAO