Brilliant, absolutely brilliant move!
08 November 2006Bob Gates:
squiggler.com
I went to bed in the wee hours of the morning all depressed and wake up this morning to hear the President announce the appointment of Dr. Robert Gates. This is the most brilliant in-you-face move, absolutely brilliant. All I can say is, to misunderestimate George Bush is to do so at your peril.
I remember Bob Gates well, but for those too young to know what a brilliant man this is, here is some bio. about him from Wikipedia:
>>>>>Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence official, and now the United States Secretary of Defense nominee. He served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council. Under President George H.W. Bush, Gates served as Director of Central Intelligence. After leaving the CIA, Gates wrote his memoirs and became president of Texas A&M University, serving on several corporate boards.
President George W. Bush announced on November 8, 2006, the day after the 2006 midterm elections, that he would nominate Gates to succeed the resigning Donald Rumsfeld as U.S. Secretary of Defense. The Senate must confirm this nomination for Gates to become Secretary.[1]
Intelligence career
While at Indiana University, Gates was recruited to join the Central Intelligence Agency. But before joining the CIA full-time as an intelligence analyst, he spent two years in the Air Force; one job was giving intelligence briefings to ICBM missile crews at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. (The CIA offered no exemption from the draft during the Vietnam War.)[1]
Gates left the CIA in 1974 to serve on the National Security Council staff but returned to the CIA in late 1979. He was named the Director of the DCI/DDCI Executive Staff in 1981, Deputy Director for Intelligence in 1982, and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from April 18, 1986, to March 20, 1989. He was nominated to become the Director of Central Intelligence in early 1987, but withdrew the nomination after it became clear the Senate would reject it due to controversy[2] about his role in the Iran-Contra affair.
Gates was Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from March until August of 1989, and was Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser from August 1989 until November 1991. He was nominated (for the second time) for the position of Director of Central Intelligence by President Bush on May 14, 1991, confirmed by the Senate on November 5, and sworn in on November 6, becoming the only career officer in the CIA's history (as of 2005) to rise from entry-level employee to Director. Deputy Directors during his tenure were Richard J. Kerr (from November 6, 1991, until March 2, 1992) and Adm. William O. Studeman (from April 9, 1992, through the remainder of Dr. Gates’ tenure).
During his 26-year career as an intelligence professional, he spent almost nine years on the National Security Council, serving four Presidents of both major political parties.
In 1996, his memoirs were published under the title From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War.
Gates has been highly decorated for his service: he was the recipient of the National Security Medal and the Presidential Citizens Medal, was twice awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and three times received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.
Career after leaving the CIA
Gates became the 22nd President of Texas A&M University on August 1, 2002 following a tenure as Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M from 1999 to 2001. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of Fidelity Investments, and on the board of directors of NACCO Industries, Inc., Brinker International, Inc. and Parker Drilling Company, Inc. He also served as President of the National Eagle Scout Association during the mid-2000s.
Director of National Intelligence Offer
In February 2005, Gates wrote in a message posted on his school's website that "There seems to be a growing number of rumors in the media and around campus that I am leaving Texas A&M to become the new director of national intelligence ('Intelligence Czar') in Washington, D.C." The message said that "To put the rumors to rest, I was indeed asked to take the position, wrestled with perhaps the most difficult -- and close -- decision of my life, and last week declined the position."
Gates committed to remain as President of Texas A&M University through the summer of 2007; President George W. Bush offered the position of United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to John Negroponte, who accepted.[3]
Bob Gates knows where ALL the leaking bodies lie at the CIA. He understands Iran perhaps better than anyone. He is the perfect man to deal with the resurrection of Sandinista Daniel Ortega down in Central America. He is a brilliant man and he is a man of the most incredible integrity, pragmatic, and completely non-ideological. <<<<<
Ladies and gentlemen, hold on to your seats, this is going to be one hell of a ride. My faith is renewed.
Oh, and did I mention what Dr. Gates has been doing recently? Tell me the President isn't on top of things. Gates has been sitting on the Baker/Hamilton Commission as one of the "architects" of the "change of direction" in Iraq. Like I said, brilliant!
And best of all, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid thought they would spend the day crowing and instead they are both nearly speechless. Talk about taking the wind out of their sails!
>>>>> President Bush (11/08/06 Press conference):
To our enemies: Do not be joyful. Do not confuse the workings of our democracy with a lack of will. Our nation is committed to bringing you to justice. Liberty and democracy are the source of America's strength, and liberty and democracy will lift up the hopes and desires of those you are trying to destroy.
To the people of Iraq: Do not be fearful. As you take the difficult steps toward democracy and peace, America is going to stand with you. We know you want a better way of life, and now is the time to seize it.
To our brave men and women in uniform: Don't be doubtful. America will always support you. Our nation is blessed to have men and women who volunteer to serve, and are willing to risk their own lives for the safety of our fellow citizens.
>>>>> Addendum: I am reminded of something my Mother said during the Gates' CIA Director confirmation hearings after listening to him brilliantly fend off question after question: "Where has this man been all my life?"
UPDATE:
I have been reading some blog posts saying that Gates' association with the Iraq Survey Group (Baker/Hamilton Commission) is a bad thing or that this is allowing Bush 41 and his cronies to take over foreign policy. I say to that, when something is inevitable, and this upcoming report is inevitable and on the lips of democratic leaders, then control the message. A total premptive strike on the part of the President, if ever there was one.
The two things I admire most about "W" is his incredible grasp of the political scene and how to play the political game and his adherence to a few strongly held principles in the model of Ronald Reagan, his mentor. It isn't that GWB doesn't stumble from time to time, he does, as does everybody. But, when President Bush stumbles, he picks himself up, shakes himself off, surveys the landscape, maps out his new path, and then he zigs and zags his way through the minefields to the front of the line two steps ahead of his opposition and continues to go forward, confident he chose the right path based on his core principles. It takes a winning attitude, it takes a savvy mind, and it takes a belief in yourself and in your own core beliefs. This drives his political adversaries crazy. For those like myself, who are political watchers, we love it and sit back and watch in awe.
Posted on 08 November 2006 at 12:12 PM |
