New Pentagon chief could collide with White House

Ashton Carter, a hard-charging intellectual known for blunt talk, was confirmed as US defense secretary Thursday, and he could soon find himself at odds with a White House that clashed with previous Pentagon chiefs. The Senate -- by a vote of 93 to five -- overwhelmingly approved Carter, an accomplished defense technocrat with degrees in Medieval history and theoretical physics. His comments provoked a quick response from a White House known for its penchant for exerting tight control. Carter ha