Next (likely) SecDef: Ashton Carter

Ashton Carter, the former Deputy Secretary of Defense, appears to be the president's choice to replace Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon.

[...]

In addition to having served as the defense department's weapon buyer and a lead budgeteer, as Defense News points out, Carter "received his doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford in 1979, where he was a Rhodes Scholar."

Despite his understated presence, many are pointing to his [2006] call to bomb North Korea as evidence of his mettle.

  The Atlantic

Or his mania, perhaps.

So what to make of Carter, reportedly the next nominee for the job? At first glance, he seems an odd candidate: educated in medieval history and theoretical physics, a bit of a wonk, and more than a bit arrogant—a trait that, Michael Crowley writes in Politico, “could be a warning sign in an administration that has already burned through three defense secretaries who resented White House micromanagement of their affairs.”

He has also put in time as a consultant to defense contractors and when he went back to the Pentagon in 2009, he had to get a special waiver because of his work for companies like Mitre Corp., and Global Technology Partners, a defense consulting firm. As The Washington Times points out, that background seems to conflict with the president’s pledge to block the revolving door between federal employees and special-interest groups.

  Forbes

Yes, well, the president talks out of both sides of his mouth, and sometimes out of his ass.

At this point the defense secretary job is arguably the toughest in the administration, given the challenge of battling the Islamic State in Syria, Iraq and Turkey, managing the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, handling the nuclear negotiations with Iran and the conflict in Ukraine at a time when the Pentagon is supposed to implement further cuts. Three other top contenders for the job withdrew their names, including Senator Jack Reed, a Democratic senator from Rhode Island, Michele Flournoy a former under secretary of defense and Jeh Johnson, the secretary of Homeland Security.

Thanks, but no thanks.

I should also mention that Carter gave up 20% of his salary when federal employees under him were subject to a furlough.  (Obama gave up 5% ; Nancy Pelosi - zilch)