Who Will Be the Next SecDef?
Should Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld survive the Iraqi prisoner-abuse scandal
and remain at the Pentagon through the November election, speculation is rampant
inside the Beltway on who might replace him next year.
If George W. Bush is reelected, many insiders note, Rumsfeld, age 72, may not
hang around for a second term. One source suggested three contenders: Curt Weldon,
Gordon England and Sean O’Keefe.
As vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa.,
is one of the most knowledgeable members of Congress when it comes to defense
matters. Gordon England is currently secretary of the Navy. “This administration
really likes England,” said the source. Sean O’Keefe, NASA administrator,
gets high marks for his role in guiding the agency through the 2003 Space Shuttle
disaster. “Plus, he’s close to [Vice President Dick] Cheney.”
If Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., defeats Bush, potential SecDef candidates include
Richard Danzig, John Murtha and Norm Dicks. “Richard Danzig is a name
that continues to come up,” said the source. Danzig, Navy secretary under
President Clinton, “is very well respected.” Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.,
is ranking minority member on the Appropriations Committee. He was the first
Vietnam veteran to be elected to Congress. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., is Murtha’s
deputy on the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
‘Space Vision’ Needs Air Force Boost
The Bush administration’s “Vision for Space Exploration”
is unlikely ever to become more than a slogan unless there is more active participation
by the U.S. Air Force and other agencies in setting long-term goals for the
nation’s space programs, said one of the members of the commission chosen
by the White House to help set policies for future space exploration.
“It is very obvious to me and the other commissioners that, if this policy
is going to have legs, and if it’s going to endure through several administrations,
it’s going to have to be a broader policy than just NASA,” said
retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles. “The vision does not just apply to
NASA.”
A commission spokesperson said there was an “overall desire to elevate
the mission beyond NASA.” A report to be released June 1 is expected to
recommend that the space vision be “elevated” to a national vision,
involving other agencies, including the Air Force.
Defense Reform: Next Study Under Way at CSIS …
The Center for Strategic and International Studies already is working on Part
2 of its overarching report on how to reform the Defense Department. The first
piece of the study, titled “Beyond Goldwater-Nichols: Defense Reform for
a New Strategic Era,” proposed fundamental changes to the Defense Department
organization, prompting mixed reactions within the Beltway.
The second part of the study will address the role of the National Guard and
the Reserves. In the midst of massive Guard and Reserve deployments to Iraq
and other hotspots, it’s time to examine a new approach to managing those
organizations, said a senior CSIS official. “They used to be strategic
reserve. Now they are an operational reserve. That requires different management,”
particularly in the area of incentives and compensation.
… Procurement Regs Also To Be Tackled
Another topic the CSIS study will probe is the defense procurement system.
The current acquisition regulations were rooted in the mid-80s business environment,
when there were dozens of large prime contractors and high-production rates
for weapon systems, the CSIS official said. With the defense industry now dominated
by monopolies, the regulations don’t work any more. The “gentle
intimidation” approach to deterring fraud is no longer effective when
there is only one prime contractor for any given weapon system, he said. “The
current policies are grounded in an obsolete 1985 world view.”