MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rumsfeld, first victim of the Democrats' victory

President George W Bush praised outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld who resigned following the Tuesday landslide victory of the Democrats that campaigned criticizing the Iraq war and his poor performance as head of the Pentagon.

"The nation and the world are safer thanks to Rumsfeld", said President Bush in the White House during a press conference next to former CIA chief Robert Gates who was named to succeed Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. "He has been an extraordinary Secretary of Defense in changing times".

"Following several talks with Rumsfeld we agreed it was the right moment for a new leadership in the Pentagon", revealed Bush. "With Rumsfeld in the job two dictators were overthrown and 50 million people liberated", added Bush in reference to the armed interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, "we're going to miss him".

Rumsfeld will be staying on the job until Gates nomination is approved by Congress, "he will make an excellent Defense Secretary" underlined Bush, "he's well aware of the demands of Afghanistan and Iraq and will bring a new perspective to the issue".

Bush also revealed he had met with Gates over the weekend in the White House.

From Caracas, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and a persistent critic of the Bush administration reacted to the news saying it was "President Bush who should resign".

"I think it is Bush who must go; his government has been democratically defeated. The downfall has begun, heads have started to roll,?but who should resign on moral grounds is the president", emphasized Chavez talking to foreign correspondents.

Chavez asked why doesn't the US call a referendum to ask the people, as happened in Venezuela, to know if they want this "murderer and genocide" to continue in office.

He insisted Bush should resign and call fresh elections. "It would be a good solution not only for the US but for all those tremendous tensions in the world he has created; maybe even Pa' Bush could stop suffering over his son's performance".

As to Rumsfeld, one of Bush's closest men in the cabinet, Chavez said he "should be jailed".