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A Closer Look At Robert Gates
 When Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stepped down Wednesday, President Bush nominated a close friend of his family who is a decorated former CIA agent and director as a replacement. "Don Rumsfeld is a tough act to follow," President Bush said. "That's why i picked a man of Bob Gates' caliber." At an earlier press conference announcing Rumsfeld's announcement, Mr. Bush said: "Bob Gates will bring a fresh perspective and great managerial experience." But Gates, 63, is no stranger to insider Washington. Gates joined the CIA in 1966 and is the only agency employee to rise from an entry-level job to the seventh-floor director's office. He served in the intelligence community for more than a quarter-century under six presidents. Gates was so respected among administration officials that he was asked in 2005 to take the position of Intelligence Czar. But Gates, who had been serving as president of Texas A&M University, declined the offer, saying he "had nothing to look forward to in D.C. and plenty to look forward to at A&M." That sentiment apparently changed after Gates met with President Bush about the job over the weekend at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Wednesday afternoon, Gates told the media the military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan provided him motivation enough to step away from the Ivory Tower and prepare to move back into the beltway. "I believe the outcome of these conflicts will shape our world for decades to come," and because American women and men are engaged in conflict currently, Gates said he "did not hesitate when the president asked me to return to duty." Posted by: Fred 2006-11-09 |
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