So Bush is going to not nominate him for a second term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Good or bad?

Frankly I think he shouldn’t have been confirmed in the first place, given his mixing of religious values with his Job Title. If he can’t know, at this stage of his career, at how to play the game, then he shouldn’t be in the game. His racist remarks about Gays being Immoral (see comment ‘Who Do You Trust? General Pace or Senator Clinton?‘) is just one example of how he has failed those he commanded.

His second failure is the press release that he wouldn’t simply ‘retire‘ because he thought it would send a wrong signal to the Troops. In fact he claims it was an act of Leadership that made him reject applying for retirement. Yeah right, and it is now Snowing in June?

Problem with that concept, is what kind of leadership was it to call a minority Immoral? (see comments ‘Immoral? Says Who?‘ and ‘Hypocrisy & Morality in the Military‘)

I mean talk about hypocrisy here. To begin with, how about the fact that Bush is already engaged in major political upheaval, part of which is about the Military Action in Iraq, and so General Pace thinks it is better to add more fuel to the fire? To give Bush Opponents more ammunition? And that helps the troops how?

“One thing that was discussed was whether or not I should just voluntarily retire and take the issue off the table,” Pace said, according to a transcript released Friday by his office at the Pentagon. 

“I said I could not do that for one very fundamental reason,” which is that no soldier or Marine in Iraq should “think – ever – that his chairman, whoever that person is, could have stayed in the battle and voluntarily walked off the battlefield. (see Story)

I wonder, when was the last time General Pace was in battle?

Harry Reid called him Incompetent, and that is something I can’t comment on. I have to wonder just how much latitude these Commanders have in directing the war effort. If they have control, then they have failed in the prosecution of this war. It isn’t just a Bush failure, but theirs as well. General Pace may want people to buy into his ‘just a soldier‘ routine, but to leave, while adding to the antagonism between the Military and Congress, isn’t what I’d call Leadership, or concern for the Troops.

Given as he is being replaced, he is also planning to stay on, until his final day. Kind of like a stubborn little child holding his breath, until someone gives in to their temper tantrum. Frankly, he’s been shelved, replaced, and the new guy needs the room to start his own planning. By remaining until Oct 1, he is insuring that the new guy has little time really to effect change now, when it is needed. In addition, he is making it harder for his replacement to seek new directions, with Pace around to look over everyone’s shoulder.

How is that being of service to his Troops?