By most accounts a good candidate for the job of Secretary of Defense would be somebody who
- Has authority.
- Would allow the Pentagon to be run from the White House.
- Could be confirmed by the Senate.
I’m still trying to figure out who could possibly fit all three of those qualifications. The Sunday morning talking heads programs have been touting Colin Powell. Why would he want the job? Would he really allow the Pentagon to be run from the White House? I don’t think so. I think Colin Powell would be more likely to ally with the Joint Chiefs.
What effect would having no SecDef for two years be? I’m thinking not much from the White House’s point of view. And you can always blame it on the Republicans.
Remember Monster.com hitting the stage at a Super Bowl years ago with their I want to be a yes man halftime ad theme?
There’s an idea.
Basically we haven’t had a SecRef since Panetta stepped down. So we already know what that’s like. The WH, otoh, will now struggle with the question of who to throw under the bus when military matters go wrong.