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Book review: ‘Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War’ by Robert M. Gates (WaPo)
WaPo ^ | 1/7/2014 | Greg Jaffe

Posted on 01/07/2014 5:30:44 PM PST by RoosterRedux

In his new book, which has nearly 600 pages of text, Gates takes the reader inside the war-room deliberations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and delivers unsentimental assessments of each man’s temperament, intellect and management style. “It is difficult to imagine two more different men,” Gates writes.

Gates left Washington in 2011 with a reputation as a steady, sober-minded member of the foreign policy establishment, who had served eight presidents and was admired equally by Republicans and Democrats. The next time Gates visits the capital, his reception may not be quite so warm. “Duty” is his second memoir, and this time he cuts loose.

He slams Congress for its grandstanding and gridlock. “I would listen with growing outrage,” he writes, “as hypocritical and obtuse American senators made all these demands of Iraqi legislators and yet themselves could not even pass budgets.” He describes members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as “rude, nasty and stupid.”

Joe Biden haters will enjoy Gates’s description of the vice president as loud, garrulous and obsessed with politics over substance. “I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades,” Gates writes. He accuses the vice president of poisoning Obama’s relationship with his generals: “I thought Biden was subjecting Obama to Chinese water torture, every day saying, ‘the military can’t be trusted.’ ”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; douglaselute; joebiden; katiecouric; obama; robertgates; thomasdonilon
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To: sean327; Rides_A_Red_Horse
Lately I’ve been wondering if it was worth giving up 23 years of my life.

I’ve been wondering the same thing. 26 years Air Force retired 3 years ago.

The three of us seem to be at the same bar, drinking the same tall glass of "What The Hell Happened".

And we're not alone...

21 posted on 01/08/2014 6:40:25 AM PST by Old Sarge (And Good Evening, Agent Smith, wherever you are...)
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To: RoosterRedux

I suspect hussien didn’t trust the US military long before he ever met Biden.


22 posted on 01/08/2014 8:45:02 AM PST by bgill
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To: Old Sarge

Anytime you want to tip a few back give me a call!


23 posted on 01/08/2014 5:02:43 PM PST by sean327 (God created all men equal, then some become Marines!)
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