JCS chairman job was Cartwright's to lose - and he did. Here's why
Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was widely considered the most likely candidate to replace Adm. Mike Mullen when Mullen's term expires in the fall. President Barack Obama had informally offered the job three times to Cartwright, according to a story in The Washington Post, and Cartwright eventually agreed to defer his retirement to take the position.
Earlier this month, however, Obama informed Cartwright that he was no longer a candidate. Gen. Martin Dempsey is likely to be named Tuesday as the nominee.
Cartwright hurt his chances, according to the Post, by clashing with his bosses: Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The Post cited the president's strategy review of the Afghan war in 2009, when Mullen and Gates were pushing Obama to send an additional 40,000 troops; Cartwright independently advised the president to send 20,000. Unnamed officials told the Post the episode strained the men's relationship with Cartwright, and they lobbied Obama to find someone else to lead the JCS.
Cartwright's critics also emphasized his lack of combat, accused him of having an insular leadership style and predicted he would have difficulty winning confirmation in the Senate, the Post said.
Read more about how Cartwright became a target for criticism from The Washington Post.
