AP sources: Top candidate for defense job bows out

Michele Flournoy, a main contender to replace Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, has taken herself out of consideration for the Pentagon's top job, people familiar with the process said Tuesday. Flournoy's decision underscores the difficulty President Barack Obama may face in finding a candidate to take the helm at the Pentagon late in his second term and as the administration faces intense criticism of its handling of crises in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.

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