Posted on 11/11/2008 11:11:16 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Anti-war camp urges Obama to dump Gates By: Jen DiMascio November 11, 2008 01:57 PM EST
Arms control advocates and anti-war activists are ratcheting up pressure on President-elect Barack Obama to dump Defense Secretary Robert Gates and replace him with a more strident anti-war voice.
Nominating Gates to stay, “would be a violation of the mandate for change that Obama says he represents,” said Medea Benjamin, cofounder of the anti-war group CodePink.
A better bipartisan fit for Obama, they say, is Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who brings out what they like about Gates – his ability to deal with Russia, Iran and Syria – without the direct link to Bush’s policies.
“That would be an unmistakable sign from the Obama camp that they really are nonpartisan,” said Justin Raimondo, editorial director of Antiwar.com. “He would be great.”
The pressure comes as momentum appears to be gaining for those who support keeping Gates to remain at the helm of the Pentagon, at least for a transitional period. Moderate Democrats in Congress, including Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, support the idea.
But when Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) promoted Gates appointment in a closed door meeting with Obama and House Democrats several months ago, he was booed by his colleagues.
“Senator Obama has talked about having a Cabinet of rivals along the lines of [Abraham] Lincoln, people who will not be intimidated to express a contrary view. He’s talked about the need to have a Cabinet that’s not an echo chamber, reflecting his own opinion.” Schiff said, adding Gates could bring such perspective to a young president’s inner circle, one that he may not have now.
Opposition to Gates stems from both politics and policy
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Ha ha ha. right up front he decides not to change the SEC Defense. Man, that’s gotta’ be disappointing.
Anti-war voice as Defense Sec’y. That’s like a vegan being President of McDonald’s.
I can’t imagine Dr. Gates would extend his obligation past the current administraion. If he does, it will only be because of the troops.
I do find it ironic that they would want to recruit one of the main players in the current administration. Was that because Obama had an ‘aw $hit’ moment after his first security briefing?
Barry, m’boy...payback is hell.
I can’t see him keeping Gates or any other high level Bush holdover, without losing face before his base. Some change...
Medea Benjamin is just another naive leftist fool who just can't believe that Dear Leader was lying all along...
What a country!
Maybe codepinker Sheehan will camp out by his Chicago home.
Not! She wouldn’t last a day in that neighborhood: too many experienced terrorists just around the block.
Nominating Rahm Emmanuel -- the same.
On another post I said W said to O, “You’re in the big time now, buddy. Come here. I wanta’ show you something”. Afterwards you could hear Obama from a mile away when he yelled “Holy crap!”
The President-elect doesn't need Code Pink. If every member of every chapter of Code Pink had voted for John McCain instead of him, he would still have won. He owes them nothing and getting them upset makes him look less radical in his sympathies.
Gates is an interesting guy. I would have guessed that he would have been less effective than Donald Rumsfeld. But, in fact, he has done a good job.
Rumsfeld’s strength was that he was willing to take flak and speak his mind, and he tried very hard to broom the losers out of the Pentagon. It was his leadership that bypassed the top brass and put Tommy Franks in charge of the war. But, of course, either he or Bush was wrong about the way to handle the Iraqi War after the invasion was completed. Not enough troops, poor rules of engagement.
Gates had the good sense to find the right guy to lead the revised war strategy: General Petraeus. And he has a good ability to work with all the players without offending them. His weakness is that he gave up on cleaning the clintonoids out the Pentagon.
Interesting to see what Obama decides. He needs a capable guy in that post, because if he doesn’t start anything the other side probably will. And Gates appears to be someone who can get along, take orders, and play the hand he is dealt.
He probably hasn't decided anything yet, at least he's not announced it.
The whole "keep Gates on" thing may, like much that "leaked" out before the election, have just been dizinformatzia, something "his people" are very good at.
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