See ya, Peter Pace

by: Pam Spaulding

Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 13:07:03 PM EDT

UPDATE 2: CNN's Barbara Starr reports that Pace's departure was linked to his anti-gay comments.]

MSNBC is reporting that General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who reiterated his support of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by calling gays and lesbian service members "immoral," is going to be replaced by Defense Secretary Gates.

Steve Ralls, director of communications for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network on Pace's resignation:

"We may never know if concerns about General Pace's homophobic remarks played a role in his decision not to seek re-confirmation, but it seems reasonable to assume that the controversy he ignited weighed on his mind.  General Pace's remarks are still fresh in the memory of many of our troops, and no doubt still fresh in the memory of many Senators, too.  In wake of Pace's resignation, SLDN urges President Bush to appoint a new Chairman who values the talents and contributions of every service member, regardless of sexual orientation. We hope the next Chairman will embrace the commitment to fairness expressed by former Joint Chiefs Chairman John Shalikashvili and leave behind General Pace's legacy of divisiveness and disrespect."

"Pentagon sources are telling NBC's Jim Miklaszewski that Defense Secretary Gates has replaced General Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with Adm. Mike Mullen. He is currently the Navy's chief naval officer." (via TP)

Don't let the door hit you on the way out, General.

UPDATE: I found a transcript of a talk Pace's successor, Adm. Mullen, gave at The Brookings Institution on April 3, 2007. He took this question:

MR. SMITH: No one has raised this -- Bruce Smith from George Mason University -- so I thought I might as well throw it at you, Admiral. How about stepping up on the "don't ask/don't tell."

ADM MULLEN: The policy was one that was hotly debated in the early '90s, and I think rightfully so. The policy was then put in place, and I think it's a policy has served us very well. What people in the current discussion sometimes don't remember is prior to that you had to either identify yourself as a homosexual or lie, one of those two things. So, I think that the policy, in my personal opinion, is interesting but it's really not relevant here, that the policy is one that stood us very well. If it's time to revisit that policy, the American people I believe -- and we live in a country -- the American people ought to raise that issue and we'll have the debate. As a member of the Joint Chiefs and obviously the head of one of the services, I will contribute to that and give my best military advice based on what -- the debate that's going on, and if it changes, it changes. I think that's the path right now.

SPEAKER: (Inaudible).

(Laughter)

ADM MULLEN: Right. The way I would raise that is really up through your representative in Congress and have the debate there and clearly, you know, I will advise accordingly.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen is partly to blame for unjustified gender quotas at the Naval Academy, which inevitably lead to real or perceived "double standards involving women," or DSIW. 

These are serious matters being addressed in unserious ways. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen recently said that Navy leaders are ?looking at? the assignment of women to submarines. The Navy?s new top enlisted man said in an interview that he favors the idea, giving no better reason than his daughter?s desire to ride on submarines, first stated when she was 8 years old. (Navy Times, Feb. 27 and Feb. 13, 2006)