Defense Secretary Gates to Remain for Another Year
[Guest post by DRJ]
The AP reports Defense Secretary Robert Gates will remain in his post for another year:
“Gates, who has said he considers himself a Republican, told President Barack Obama in December that he would stay on at least through the end of 2010, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told The Associated Press.”
Walter Russell Mead recently described President Obama’s foreign policy approach as part-idealist, part-pragmatist. Obama is like most presidents in this respect but I think he’s more of a pragmatist, albeit sometimes a reluctant one. Thus, it does not surprise me that Gates has become his foreign policy soulmate.
— DRJ
Gates strikes me as a tool. He’s an ex CIA pansy so it’s very likely he’s of poor character. Putting an ex CIA pansy in as DoD is one of George Bush’s more suspect decisions I think.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/7/2010 @ 9:17 pm*DoD guy* I meant
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/7/2010 @ 9:17 pmYou really have to wonder if the gay CIA mafia extorted Bush in some way to put one of their own in charge.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/7/2010 @ 9:19 pmanother useless scumbag who never should have been appointed….. kinda like rummy.
we’re so screwed.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 1/7/2010 @ 9:21 pmNo, Rummy was a much better choice, he could strike terror into the jihadisrs, whereas Gates is scared of small animals and shiny objects
ian cormac (cd6b99) — 1/7/2010 @ 9:27 pmrummy was a scary idiot: gates is just an idiot…..
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 1/7/2010 @ 9:30 pmThe main way that Rummy was scary is illustrated in a story told about the Duke of Wellington during the time of the wars with Napoleon. When Wellington was handed the list of his officers for his campaign in Spain, he is supposed to have said, “I only hope the enemy shakes as much when they read it as I do”.
Counterfactual (cde27c) — 1/7/2010 @ 10:01 pmconsiders himself a Republican, … just like Colin Powell…
MD in Philly (d4668b) — 1/7/2010 @ 10:21 pmGates staying is great news for Obami, since in his circle of friends, they’re all too bug-crazy to be responsible for Defense, or else he’d be looking at the same disaster as Bubba did when he had a bug-crazy Leftist running DoD.
AD - RtR/OS! (88245d) — 1/7/2010 @ 10:30 pmBlackhawk-Down II would put the seal on Obambi’s tomb.
I am glad Gates is staying on. He isn’t great, but consider the other appointments we’ve seen…
What would you prefer, Murtha?
Dan S (5ef8be) — 1/8/2010 @ 5:38 amI’d prefer General Jubilation T Cornpone rather than either Gates or Murtha.
ropelight (83de47) — 1/8/2010 @ 7:07 amI agree with #10, given Obama’s other choices I shutter to think who he would put in place of Gates. Guess it doesn’t matter either way though, Obama doesn’t listen to other people see: General McChrystal
Audacity (2fd5ad) — 1/8/2010 @ 7:33 am