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Bush planned Rumsfeld ouster in summer
UPI
November , 2006

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Sources close to the White House said U.S. President George Bush began plans to remove U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in late summer.

The sources, from within and outside the White House, told The New York Times that Bush delayed the plans until after the election because of concerns that the move would be seen as political opportunism or viewed by critics as vindication of their concerns about the administration's war plans.

Debate about when to oust Rumsfeld went on for several months leading up to the election, the sources told the Times. Many Republicans saw the delay as a political mistake during a campaign that featured much criticism of Rumsfeld from Democratic -- and some Republican -- candidates.

Officials said the final decision to replace Rumsfeld with Robert Gates, the former director of the CIA, was made by Bush with consultation from Rumsfeld, national security adviser Stephen Hadley, Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten.

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