The ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, who will take the committee helm in January, told reporters Monday that he is ready to take a “fresh look” at Robert Gates, the man the President has tapped to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Levin did not vote for Gates 15 years ago when Gates came up for confirmation to head the Central Intelligence Agency. However, Levin said essentially that it’s a new day and that he wants to ensure Gates would provide independent assessments.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

