an_cat

Finally. President taps ex-CIA chief Gates to replace embattled defense secretary WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stepped down as defense secretary on Wednesday, one day after midterm elections in which opposition to the war in Iraq contributed to heavy Republican losses. President Bush nominated Robert Gates, a former CIA director, to replace Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. Asked whether his announcement signaled a new direction in the war that has claimed the lives of more than 2,800 U.S. troops, Bush said, “Well, there’s certainly going to be new leadership at the Pentagon.” Bush lavished praise on Rumsfeld, who has spent six stormy years at his post. The president disclosed he met with Gates last Sunday, two days before the elections in which Democrats swept control of the House and possibly the Senate. Military officials and politicians dissatisfied with the course of the war had called for Rumsfeld’s resignation in the months leading up to the election. Last week, as Bush campaigned to save the Republican majority, he declared that Rumsfeld would remain at the Pentagon through the end of his term. Source: Cheney stuck by Rumsfeld But a source told NBC News’ military analyst Bill Arkin that prior to the election, Vice President Dick Cheney argued with other politicians over whether Rumsfeld should stay. White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and others said Rumsfeld should be removed, the source said. Both sides agreed the decision would be made after the election, when Bush would make the final call based on how Republicans did. According to the source, Bush agreed Rumsfeld should be removed after seeing election results favoring Democrats. Cheney then lost another argument, protesting Gates’ nomination as Rumsfeld’s replacement. Rumsfeld, 74, was in his second tour of duty as defense chief. He first held the job a generation ago, when he was appointed by President Ford. Whatever confidence Bush retained in Rumsfeld, the Cabinet officer’s support in Congress had eroded significantly. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House speaker-in-waiting, said at her first postelection news conference that Bush should replace the top civilian leadership at the Pentagon. And Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who had intervened in the past to shore up support for Rumsfeld, issued a statement saying, “Washington must now work together in a bipartisan way — Republicans and Democrats — to outline the path to success in Iraq.” The Pentagon offered no date for Rumsfeld’s departure. Appointee a close Bush family friend Gates, 63, has served as the president of Texas A&M University since August 2002, and as the university’s interim dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service from 1999 to 2001. The school is home to the presidential library of Bush’s father. Gates is a close friend of the Bush family, and particularly the first President Bush. He served as deputy national security adviser from 1989 to 1991 and then as CIA director during the first Iraq war, from 1991 until 1993. 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. Bush has considered Gates for jobs before, including in 2005 when he was searching for a candidate to be the nation’s first national intelligence director. His nomination must be confirmed by the Senate. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who is expected to chair the House Armed Services Committee next year, said Rumsfeld’s resignation “presents an important opportunity for our country to begin a new policy direction in Iraq and in the war on terrorism.” He encouraged the Bush administration to take advantage of the fresh start. Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15622266/

I want to lick Anthony's neck. And that's all.

Seriously, that DPT picture... omg....

No, please please. Pleeease, more requests! The earlier on the better ;) just incase I want to actually make them important! :laugh4: I'm such a virgin to this, whoo for winging it! haha

Oh fuck me... OK. :drunk:

I haven't gotten my NME's yet... :( I think I'll probably get two tomorrow. lmfao. I seem to get two every two weeks. I have no clue why LMFAO

Love those ideas too, Red!!! :D Like the idea of maybe having Drew take Gary's "place" but not really, yanno? Just the idea of it ;)

I want it to focus on them.... but...... with more of a Spectres flavor, you know? Definately not writing in her style, obviously ;) but that..... idea lmfao. I don't really want to keep it ALL in the Libs camp, either. Just for you guy's info... So I dunno lmfao. But I want to try some things out before I show it to anybody, then yeah. I really don't want to make john and stan a cliche either... I need to find a different way to do them... other than you know, how perfectly they're done. But they have to be together in the end :laugh4: wow done ok.

No. No Peter and Carl. At all.... Not that I don't love them! I mean, they're the originals and yeah... but... I dunno. I think I want to do something else with Carl, for once. Like something REALLY else... :uhoh: And I've decided I'm going to have to involve Drew somehow, but not as an antagonist or a wounded puppy. :heart: Drew haha yeap. That's my plan. LMFAO

It is a very serious project! haha, it's going to have to pass through all of us until it makes it to the albions ;) whoooo!

Wait, ok, my first two replies were in response to the fic. the third reply was in response to if it'll involve drew... :laugh4: I have no idea what that fic was called... shit. sheeeeet! haha

Last Lost tonight until after Christmas and in january sometime... :( aw man. This sucks... but at least we won't have all those horrible haituses... :\

well I don't know... I don't think Drew.... I DON'T KNOW. I'm still pondering whether it's worth it. I'm going to see what the plot allows :laugh4:

OH MY GOD WAIT I DO REMEMBER WHAT ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. Pete and Carl on the phone? OMG WHAT WAS THAT CALLE.D shit. i liked it a lot too lmfao.

LMFAO UM YEAH YOU SO JUST ASKED THAT. lmfao lmfao lmfao and I know exactly what one you mean. But it was Pete and... patrick? I don't think it was ever finished... shit I can't remember it at all.... it was back in septemberish, or august, if that helps..... I don't even remember who it was by. Do you mean the one where like..... Pete and Drew... and the school... and Carl and the teacher walks in? Or am I smoking crack? :laugh4:

Yeah.... yeah... I am..... There's just not enough stan and john in the world. honestly. there isn't. and I need to try and write something creative after writing so many essays about myself. :laugh4: I might throw something else in there, that I've had festering in my mind for awhile, but I won't mention that yet :laugh4: oh snap! THANK YOU TEA! haha, how'd you know I'd ask! Sexy Drew+Cameras=my life, huh? haha

ooooh, hey tea? do you have a certain picture from an icon i see on the drew lj you linked to? it's an icon of drew holding a polaroid camera with writing on it about halfway through the comments, it's definately a kendall. I've just never seen it before! :D I like the looks of it, and would love to see it.... ;) you're hte picture queen, so! :laugh4:

:dance: :dance: I popped the thread's 200 cherry wtf! :laugh4: whooooooooooooooooo best thread here! ever! :dance: and yes yes, I will be! :D I'll probably start a rough thing this weekend. ;)

Don't worry, I will be writing it. Possibly never showing it to anyone, but I will.... :laugh4: ;) You're all definately going to help me. I'm going to need to learn a few things, like how did Carl meet Stan? Bringing him into the band? I have to reread Libs: Bound Together, the last few chatpers..... :thinking:

I'M HERE IN TIME FOR 200. YAY! :dance:

LMFAO you actually just inspired me for my college app essay.... :laugh4: *goes back to writing* UGH I SWEAR. I never want to write about myself again. EVER.

omg I hadn't seen that video before. Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooove. :nice: ok, writing my college app essay right now. lmfao.

Well my apps are going in this week... so... :sneaky: I'm going to need help from you guys though, seriously. Like lots. :laugh4: Ideas? Man, we should have a whole seperate sub thread just for shit like this! ahaha

I like to write.... Maybe I will when all my college apps are finished.......... :uhoh:

LIVE omg I know. When I saw them they didn't have BURMA on the setlist (setlist that I stole, hahaha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa) and I completely forgot about it, until they launched into it. whoa. just took my breathe away. :dead: