Gen. Cartwright, poised to lead Joint Chiefs, had his shot derailed by critics

President Obama summoned one of his favorite and most trusted military advisers, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, to the White House on May 21 for a one-on-one meeting. It was a Saturday, less than three weeks since the president had celebrated the death of Osama bin Laden with Cartwright and other members of his national security team. But this time, the president had bad news.

Over the previous year, Obama had asked Cartwright on three occasions if he’d be willing to serve as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the armed forces and principal military adviser to the president. According to two military officials close to Cartwright, who has served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs since 2007, the general demurred the first two times, saying he was looking forward to retirement after a 40-year military career.

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Just weeks after becoming the Army chief of staff, sources say General Martin Dempsey is the president's pick to become the nation's top military officer. (May 25)

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But in recent months Cartwright, 61, had relented and told the president he’d be willing to take the job when the term of the current chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, ends, according to the military officials. That conversation didn’t include a formal job offer from Obama, but he reportedly told Cartwright, “You’re my guy.” Others in the White House and Pentagon also saw him as the leading contender.

Cartwright, however, did not end up as Obama’s guy. In recent weeks, the cerebral but introverted general, who goes by the nickname “Hoss,” became the casualty of a concerted lobbying campaign by critics inside the Pentagon who persuaded the president to bypass him.

Obama has since settled on Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as his pick to become chairman, effective Oct. 1, said two U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been made public. The White House said Obama will make “personnel announcements” Monday regarding the Defense Department.

When Obama met with Cartwright on May 21, he told the general that Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates — both of whom had long mistrusted Cartwright because of his independent relationship with the president and for opposing their plan to expand the war in Afghanistan — had recommended that he not get the job, said the military officials close to the general.

Someone to trust

Since taking office as a wartime president in 2009, Obama has struggled at times to surround himself with military commanders whom he trusts and feels personally comfortable with. Last summer, Obama sacked Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, after a magazine article quoted his staff mocking civilian leaders in the Obama administration.

McChrystal’s replacement, Gen. David H. Petraeus, a hero of the Iraq war, was seen by many Pentagon officials as a natural choice to lead the Joint Chiefs eventually. Obama seemed to get off to a cool start with Petraeus, with some White House officials eyeing him as a potential political rival and noting his close ties to former president George W. Bush. Last month Obama nominated Petraeus to take over the CIA, a plum job but one that will end his military career.