KO!!!

Christy!

Biodun! *g*

Gates hearings. “Hearings”? I’m starting to get pissed off. I’m not angry with the Republicans. I expect no less from these characters. No, it’s not repubs who are upsetting me; it’s the…

i heart jane! — It sure would be nice to get a good KO commentary on this whole farce of an oversight hearing today, I must say. This confirmation process thus far is disappointing, at best.

The Dems are determined to play nice and bipartisan and confirm Gates so they can all go home for the holidays.

The Dems might be ready to kick ass in January. Meanwhile, Bush will continue to kick the gorilla dust.

kick the gorilla dust:

http://www.doubletongued.org/i…..illa_dust/

First Alito and now Gates. Let’s see how the Demos vote on this one.

Sorry to be so out of the loop on this, but how long is the hearing supposed to last?

I just came home from a medical appointment and put on C-Span 1 and 2, in hopes of catching some of the hearing, but each station is broadcasting other activities (apparently what’s happening on the floor of the House and Senate, respectively).

Is the hearing over for the day? Are other days lined up? Thanks in advance for the info.

So, Gates sweetie, could you please explain that little Iran-Contra affair thingie? We’re dying – no wait- others did – to hear your side of that nasty little bidness. Please?

Dont bother writing,it’s a done deal, I contacted Levin and received the same old bullshit. The only way to handle these affairs is to run campaigns against them like they did to LIEberman

But that it no excuse for Senators failing to do their Constitutional duty of advice and consent. No excuse at all.

Now see, this is why I don’t even pay attention any more. Not even the “good guys” give a purple damn. I think I’ll change my handle to “Off the Reservation,” because I sure as hell am, and there’s room to breathe out here, a whole other world.

MrsK8 at 8 — C-Span3 is still broadcasting the hearings at the moment. You can watch it online.

Mrs. K8 @ 8

Sorry to be so out of the loop on this, but how long is the hearing supposed to last?

I just came home from a medical appointment and put on C-Span 1 and 2, in hopes of catching some of the hearing, but each station is broadcasting other activities (apparently what’s happening on the floor of the House and Senate, respectively).

Is the hearing over for the day? Are other days lined up? Thanks in advance for the info.

The chair, Warner, said he would like the hearings to end today. He proposed an all-day session, including the executive session when they have classified questions. But he kept open the possibility of spilling the hearing into tomorrow if necessary.

I caught the last thirty minutes of Gates on cspan 2. May I just say this is not an interview for secretary of the same old malarky.

Gates should be irrelevant now. His answers to even the softball questions fail miserably to address reality (Iran) or approach the situation with any real change in mind.

Congress must stop this madness stand up to the administration and say, who’s next?

Biodun at 13 — there are still going to be private meetings after today’s hearing, so I hear. And I’d like to be on the record as saying that there need to be much more questions and answers. Period. This sort of dress up for the public hearing is unacceptable.

i’m not smart enough to think up a good question quickly, but here’s some background from ray mcgovern and robert parry, who seem to be the experts on gates’ history.

Q: Is there ANY aspect of the conduct of the war, from March 2003 through today that you consider merits investigation by the DoD Inspector General?

So akaka didn’t ask gates about his ties to the Central American death squads?

I keed, I keed.

Let the kabuki continue.

Thank you, Christy and Biodun!

OT, but good grief! It wouldn’t surprise me if you all heard about this already — Poppy Bush breaking down and sobbing when talking about dear son, Jebby (barf).

In case someone hasn’t, here’s the story –

http://articles.news.aol.com/n…..4509990018

I saw a couple of seconds of this little melodramatic moment last night, but I had the teevee muted when I caught sight of it.

What the hell is that for? Is Poppy now turning on the ol’ waterworks in a bid to garner sympathy for his family? Does he think that “we the people” will now be super-duper nice to his sons in order to keep the old geezer from crying? It’s disgusting.

Oh, and the scary part of the article I linked to? Poppy saying he hopes his grandchildren go into poliltics.

Save us, o Lord, from any next-generational attempts at continuing the “Bush Dynasty.”

Talk about kicking America when she’s down!

Question for Robert Gates:

Have you ever had intimate relations with Donald Rumsfeld?

If yes, second question:

Did you enjoy it?

If either answer is no, you are confirmed!!!

Not one question yet about the new powers given to the Sec of Defense under the Military Commissions Act?

…does the hc denial apply to citizens as well as aliens? What do you consider the criteria to allow hearsay to be credible evidence? What standards for State Secrets denial of evidence would you propose? Have you any choices yet for members to empanel tribunals?

….anyfuckinthoughts on jailing citizens indefinitely on unseen evidence …at all?

Senator Feingold prefers to give a President wide latitude when nominating his own staff. I wonder where he stands on the Gates nomination?

I wonder if Gates thinks his experience in Central American horrors will help him avoid such mistakes this time around or will he continue to apply old tactics to innocents throughout the middle east?

Q: During the first phase of the Iraq campaign numerous officers on the ground noted that we were bypassing Iraqi Army depots chock full of weaponry such as rocket launchers with their projectiles, plastic explosives with their detonators, tens of thousands of fully automatic infantry weapons and other materials for the manufacture of roadside explosives. There were complaints from officers who had been forced to bypass these depots that future security for our forces might be compromised by leaving the depots unguarded.

Do you intend to investigate this aspect of the invasion and early occupation?

Christy Hardin Smith @ 15

And I’d like to be on the record as saying that there need to be much more questions and answers. Period. This sort of dress up for the public hearing is unacceptable.

Agreed. But a conciliatory spirit seems to have descended on this committee all of a sudden. Especially in light of events and leaks the past few days. What’s going on?

-ck- @ 20

Question for Robert Gates:

Have you ever had intimate relations with Donald Rumsfeld?

If yes, second question:

Did you enjoy it?

If either answer is no, you are confirmed!!!

HAHAHA! You’re making me ROTFLMAO! : )

Oh yeah, and now Bayh’s wrapping up.

christy, that’s a great post…at least we are not a do nothing politico

anyway, as I suggested on a previous thread, gates has to be asked about the pnac, if he knows about the organization, what he thinks of their ’strategy”, and what he thinks of those that framed their “project”, including invading Iraq and Iran

‘Why should civilians be held (without charges and for years) for military tribunals where they will have no defense attorney and no right of appeal?’

That might be a good question to ask Abu Gonzales, too.

“Changing course may not be the sign of weakness…”

OK, how about a plan to bring the troops home soon?

Now we know why so many of these Senators gave up the practice of law for politics. They were poor lawyers. They can’t formulate questions designed to illicit useful information, they don’t listen to the answers and they can’t extemporaneouly follow-up to probe the openings they stumble upon.
This hearing is not the exception. It is the rule.

Here’s a question for Gates –

What does he think about Rummy having shifted the lion’s share of intelligence gathering to the Pentagon — and away from the CIA and other non-military agencies?

And what does he think about the Pentagon intelligence departments spying on peaceful American citizens, such as Quakers and Mennonites — who are guilty of nothing else but dissenting from the administration’s warmongering?

OK, Bayh’s asking about setting a timeline…

And Gates goes back to “all options on the table”…
“I’m willing to consider all alternatives”…

Boston rightwingut radio jock Jay Severin is calling for the impeachment of George W. Bush.

Says the Dems don’t have the fortitude to do the same.

Funny stuff.

-GSD

I posted these right after Rummy resigned . . . still sound like good questions to me:

The Dems should use the confirmation hearings as the first “accountability moment” of many to come. Here’s a taste of what some nice questions might sound like:

1) As one who has headed the CIA, do you believe that information extracted by use of torture is credible? Put another way, does torture work, or do those who are tortured merely say whatever they think their captors want to hear?

2) As one who was part of the intelligence community of the executive branch during the Iran-Contra episode, you have a certain insight into the balance of powers between the legislative and executive branches. Given that experience, what are your views on the power of the executive to set aside the expressed will of Congress by using the cover of a “signing statement” instead of the constitutionally-vested power of the veto? Can the Executive branch simply ignore laws (or portions thereof) that they don’t like?

3) What are the limits, if any, of the military when it comes to seizing American citizens or anyone else and holding them indefinitely, without trial or even the filing of charges, without showing them the evidence being used to
justify their detention, and without providing them a recourse to challenge the legality of their detention before an impartial court?

Christy,

I hope your comment about internal sniping at the end of the last thread was not directed at the extremely long post i submitted. I spent an awful long time making sure that it was polite. I wasn’t reading the rest of the thread, so if your remark was meant for others, I apologize.

I do think the point I took up is important. Again something was posted that gives fuel to what critics of the site say, and what critics fairly ascribe to wingnuts all the time.

I spent a fairly long time on that post. Please see that Jane Hamsher sees it. What she does based on what i say is entirely up to her.

I haven’t been watching or listening, so hopefully I’m not retreading anything. But if the questioning has been as vapid and preening as it sounds, here are my real questions:

1) Gates says we are not winning in Iraq. But what is winning? What is the specific operational objective of remaining in Iraq?

2) Gates says we don’t need a draft. Why, then, is stop-loss still in effect and why are units on third or fourth tours of duty? How long does Gates believe our military can operate like this?

3) On the draft again, why have recruiting standards been relaxed to the point the military is taking older people and those who are not fit (history of violence, low aptitude, etc.)? How long can our military keep lowering its standards?

If confirmed who will Gates refer to for advice? Will ol sixty grit employment tactics be used? Will any Neocons be rejected since he will know what they think in advance. Will he actually listen to alternate views (even from Generals) or keep the old DOD Rummy stamp philosophy?

USMC Captain Scott Ritter published a book in the fall of 2002 which turned out to be right on the status of Iraq’s WMD, the lack of flexibility for the upcoming campaign in Iraq by the Pentagon leadership, the descending cycle of violence in post-invasion Iraq, and the inability of the Bush administration to be able to deal with the failed campaign.

Would you consider hiring this guy to help you develop more realistic policies for the DoD?

And about Iran…

Bayh’s saying that Iran likes the fact that we’re bogged down in Iraq…

Gates is saying that Iran will feel pressure “if things go right in Iraq”.

perris @ 26

christy, that’s a great post…at least we are not a do nothing politico

anyway, as I suggested on a previous thread, gates has to be asked about the pnac, if he knows about the organization, what he thinks of their ’strategy”, and what he thinks of those that framed their “project”, including invading Iraq and Iran

Agreed! That is a most important and urgent question, especially considering that the PNAC manifesto reads like a latter-day American version of Mein Kampf.

If he doesn’t seem to know anything about the group, he can just be guided to the website –

newamericancentury.org

where it’s all laid out in gory detail.

Then once he’s had time to read their documents, he should be made to answer the question.

Wish I had CSPAN3…the tap dance would surely be better than CSPAN2 and the droning of Mike DeWine. I know he’s trying to honor deceased military, but he’s awful; it’s a slap in the face that this guy who supported this war wholesale is reading their obits now from the floor of the Senate.

John Warner’s statement closing the morning session says so much! What blathering fools. ALL OF THEM. D and R alike……

Question for Gates:

Given everything that’s happened in Iraq and Afghanistan so far, should we have gone into Iraq in the first place?

How he engages, or dodges, that question might be revealing.

puppethead @ 35

I haven’t been watching or listening, so hopefully I’m not retreading anything. But if the questioning has been as vapid and preening as it sounds, here are my real questions:

1) Gates says we are not winning in Iraq. But what is winning? What is the specific operational objective of remaining in Iraq?

2) Gates says we don’t need a draft. Why, then, is stop-loss still in effect and why are units on third or fourth tours of duty? How long does Gates believe our military can operate like this?

3) On the draft again, why have recruiting standards been relaxed to the point the military is taking older people and those who are not fit (history of violence, low aptitude, etc.)? How long can our military keep lowering its standards?

Sounds like very good questions to me…
It’s too bad you couldn’t have asked Gates about these this morning…
You would have been better than (at least) most of the folks asking the questions today.

: )

Frist got up and moaned about the lack of judges and how the filibuster was such a bad deal and wasn’t it a damn shame. Reid and Durbin got up and said, with all respect to my distinguished friend, kiss my ass. To call this the do nothing congress was a slur to the one that Truman also slammed. This is the do even less congress.

DeWiner got up, and it looks like for two hours he’s going to eulogize fallen troops from Ohio. His first was for a dead hero who had given an insulin pump, once used by his dead wife, to a girl who could not afford the cost of a new one.

This, in just a few words, demonstrates just two of the unmet needs of his constituents: 1) The man died because he was in Iraq and got blown up. On his third tour, after he had been extended beyond his retirement. Bring them home! and 2) We live in the richest nation ever on the face of the planet, and a young girl cannot afford proper, life saving, health care. One payer, universal health care for every citizen!

crick at 34 — it wasn’t — you posted at approximately the same time that I did, if you look at the time stamps. I’m sure Jane will see it, she reads back through all the threads as she has time to do so, as do I. Please don’t think that every comment either I or Jane makes is directed at you — or at anyone else singly either — there is a collective mood this morning that is touchy and I’m simply not in the mood for it, frankly, because I have a lot going on today.

We talk politics on this blog — there are going to be disagreements, as there always are, about potential policy decisions or about other factual issues. That does not mean that people on either side of the disagreement are acting in bad faith or being mean because they disagree — it simply means that they see things differently. And the sooner we ALL come to terms with that, the happier I will be today.

May I respectfully suggest truth serum questions: Because on Capitol Hill, truth is like a fart in church.

Welcome Dr. Gates:

Despite overwhelmingly strong and unambiguous intelligence presented to the President, the Sec’y of Defense and the Congress showing conclusively that Iraq was no threat to the security to the United States, the Administration and Secretary Rumsfeld lied to the American people and claimed instead that the U.S. was in danger from Iraq in 2003. Sec’y Rumsfeld and the administration went so cynically far as to change the subject from “whether Iraq threatens the United States” to “Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.” As you well know, even if the administration’s WMD claims were true in 2003, given the contained nature of Iraq, this WMD issue was always irrelevant to whether Iraq was a threat to the U.S.

– Given these facts, are you ready to acknowledge these prior deceits to the American people and their representatives in Congress?
– More importantly, unlike Secretary Rumsfeld who repeatedly lied to this committee about whether Iraq was a threat to the U.S., are you willing to make AN ABRUPT change of course and speak truthfully on behalf of this administration on all future matters of life and death for our armed forces?

Thank you for your candor, Sir.

Since the Bush administration lost this, for lack of a better term, “war” in Iraq shortly after it invaded the country in 2003, how do you plan to ensure the safety of our soldiers now that, as we know, under Sec’y Rumsfeld our soldiers have been put in the position where they will be forced to retreat from the Bush administration’s gross misadventure?

As a result of George Bush being the first President to ever singlehandedly lose a war (in a country the U.S. had already defeated no less), conservative estimates show that U.S. obligations for war reparations will dwarf the alleged future “deficits” the Administration claimed would arise in the social security system. Where are we going to get this money and how much should come from the defense budget?

*****
Honestly folks, I don’t know what is worse, an administration that continues to lie, a congress that refuses to insist that they tell the truth or that either side seems capable of changing.

cl

What font will be chosen for the “Mission Accomplished Again” banner?

crick @
34

I do think the point I took up is important. Again something was posted that gives fuel to what critics of the site say, and what critics fairly ascribe to wingnuts all the time.

Crick’s comment on the previous thread is worth a read.

Please respect the poster and the topic of the thread. If you have a comment to make about a previous thread, leave it there.

It isn’t too much to ask.

Does Mr. Gates have a wife, and can we expect her to jump up and leave the room in tears?

Sparkles the Iguana @
47

What font will be chosen for the “Mission Accomplished Again” banner?

Font, schmont – the correct term is “Mission Accomplisheder.”

I’d like to hear it asked What will he do to rebuild our military torn down by Iraq War, what is needed, how much money, how long will it take?

That should have been “worn down by Iraq War” as in equipment etc

FWIW, Sen. Levin (via CNN feed)has just essentially blessed the nomination, citing a “very good presentation” on the part of Dr. Gates. Looks like substantive dialogue is not on the menu.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 45

crick at 34 — it wasn’t — you posted at approximately the same time that I did, if you look at the time stamps. I’m sure Jane will see it, she reads back through all the threads as she has time to do so, as do I. Please don’t think that every comment either I or Jane makes is directed at you — or at anyone else singly either — there is a collective mood this morning that is touchy and I’m simply not in the mood for it, frankly, because I have a lot going on today.

We talk politics on this blog — there are going to be disagreements, as there always are, about potential policy decisions or about other factual issues. That does not mean that people on either side of the disagreement are acting in bad faith or being mean because they disagree — it simply means that they see things differently. And the sooner we ALL come to terms with that, the happier I will be today.

Christy –

I have no idea what the details are which prompted what you wrote here, as I haven’t had time to read the comments to earlier threads, but I do know that your second paragraph here is chock full of common sense.

For which I’d love to give you a big hug.

Not knowing the details can be remedied by my going back to read what transpired — but here’s my off-the-cuff guideline for what’s an unacceptable form of argument:

If what someone is saying in their comment amounts to “You disagree with my point of view and I disagree with yours because YOU STINK,” then, uh, it’s crossed the line, undubitably.

Conversely, when the comment can be summed up in the form “If I understand what you’ve said, you believe what you do for A/B/C reasons, but I disagree for X/Y/Z reasons” then it’s golden and good to go.

Maybe I’m being overly simplistic, but I don’t think so. That said, maybe I should pop downstairs and see what the fracas looks like (and how or even if it fits my two different frames).

MrsK8 at 55 — that is EXACTLY right. Disagreeing on the merits is a good thing. Being disagreeable about it…not so much. ;-)

Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Cheney were closer than two Boy Scouts in a collapsed pup tent. Will you be able to maintain independence from Mr. Cheney’s iron fist?

Sparkles the Iguana @
50

Does Mr. Gates have a wife, and can we expect her to jump up and leave the room in tears?

Nice catch.

scout prime @ 52

I’d like to hear it asked What will he do to rebuild our military torn down by Iraq War, what is needed, how much money, how long will it take?

you know what?

this is a better question because of the layers then appears at first glance

it becomes a brutal indictment of how our armed froces were handled.

it’s a double edged sword type of question

very very nice

I’m not watching this on the tv. Has anyone asked him about Iran-Contra?

perris @ 59

scout prime @ 52

I’d like to hear it asked What will he do to rebuild our military torn down by Iraq War, what is needed, how much money, how long will it take?

you know what?

this is a better question because of the layers then appears at first glance

it becomes a brutal indictment of how our armed froces were handled.

it’s a double edged sword type of question

very very nice

Murthaesque.

end zig.

Sparkles the Iguana @ 60

I’m not watching this on the tv. Has anyone asked him about Iran-Contra?

I’m not watching either, man that needs to be broached.

I heard a bit of the questioning on NPR this morning, and it’s disappointing how misinformed the senators seem to be, and how much neocon nonsense is still being peddled.

Example #1: the idea that Iran is supplying the weapons to Sadr’s people. The most pro-Iranian Shiite faction is Hakim’s SCIRI party, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their militia, the Badr Brigade, has gotten some weapons from Iran, but those are the people the Bush administration is now supporting and pushing Malliki to get closer to. Of the three major Shiite faction, Sadr’s is the most anti-Iranian. SCIRI wants to create a Shia-stan in southern Iraq, which is why it’s aligned with the Kurds who want to break off their own chunk (Kurdistan) in northern Iraq. Sadr wants to keep Iraq as a unified country. Malliki has no militia of his own and little real power, he was just a compromise candidate chosen because Sadr and Hakim hate each other.

But it appears that the Senate thinks that Iran is supporting Sadr.

Q: You were aware of US assisting the mujahadeen in the USSR/Afghanistan war. What kind of follow up did you reccommend when the USSR decided to pull out?

Q: Could you explain your position when Saddam gassed the Kurds? Were you for or against the Administration’s actions?

Q: Did you have any role in arming Iraq before the first Gulf War?

Q: Do you know anything about the causes of Gulf War Syndrome?

Q: How was Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait missed and what role did you play in that failure?

Q: Were you involved in the creation of any false information for US public consumption before the first Gulf War began? How about false information use to gain support for other countries to join the coalition?

Q: As the first Gulf War was ending, there was some debate within the Administration about whether the US should continue on and topple Saddam. Which side of the debate were you on?

Q: Did you have any role in the cover-up of US atrocities in the first Gulf War? Atrocities such as the Highway of Death for example?

Q: When the first President Bush left the Shiite and Kurds on their own to get slaughtered by Saddam after the first Gulf War, what did you reccommend to the President?

Q: Could you explain how the CIA failed to detect any element of the first World Trade Center bombing plot under your watch?

Q: On the morning of 9/11 did you get a clearer understanding of the term “blowback”? If so, how will your current understanding guide you today? If not, why are you sitting there… get out!

1. Position on the special inspecter general for Iraq reconstruction.

2. Mechanisms he will personally implement to insure that intelligence is not politicized to fit around Executive Branch pre-determined decision.

3. On the record whistleblower position and mechanisms he will personally implement to protect whistleblowers.

4. Position on the Military Commissions Act and torture, combatant status review tribunals and mechanims he will personlly implement to insure that we are not buying innocent citizens for warlords and Pakistani governement officials as a cash crop, to be then shipped like slaves to GITMO.

5. Position on DOD’s response to the subpoena’s that will be issuing. WHen he says “to the extent of my authority” what does he mean, exactly, an what will be his position on Executive resistance to turning over documents that may evidence criminal behavior or embarassing or incompetent behaiour and that are classified in violation of the existing Executive Order, but which the WH nonetheless indicates it does not want to turn over.

6. If the President asks you to lie to Congress, will you? How far does your subservience to the Executive go and how do you allocate between your duties to the Executive and your duties to this Congress and the country.

7. Do you believe the Executive has “wartime” powers in the existing conflict?

8. Describe the extent of authorization you view the president received under the two authorizations to use military force – for Afghanistan and for Iraq.

9. Describe the limits on the President’s executive powers under those authorizations in your view. Can the President lie to Congress? WIthhold information from Congress and if so what types of information? Order military officers to lie to Congress or withhold or misrepresent to Congress?

10. What mechanisms will you personally implement to demand accoutability up the chain of command and what will be your basis for removing officers from that chain – as has been done in almost all major conflicts UNTIL this one – for failure to perform.

11. What mechanism will you personally implement to reduce civilian casualties in Iraq and make sure that friendly fire incidents – such as the Tillman case – and civilian deaths are adequately investigated and correctly reported and handled?

12. A string of questions on Islam and Sharia and Sunni, Kurd, Shia, Turk, Persian etc. interactions. Do you understand that the Iraq Constituion provides that no laws may violate Sharia? DO you understand that under Sharia and within the tenets of Islam, Islam is not only a religion but is also by its own terms a system of laws and a framework for governance? What do you see as the difficulties in establishing democracy and secular courts given the tenet of Islam and Sharia – which the Constitution says cannot be violated – that provide for religious courts and Islamic religous governance that is based on protection of religious tenets over democratic values of personal liberties? What is the position of Islam – not radical Islam, but mainstream Islam – on the presence of non-Islamic occupation forces on Muslim land? How was that viewed throughout the Muslim territories when the SOviets invaded Afghanistan? Is there ANY realistic manner that this can be countered, other than withdrawal of troops? How do you counter al-Sadr’s claim that the US presence violates Sharia? Saudi Arabia has indicated that if the US pulls out, it may step in – explain why this would not be a preferable result to having US troops in Iraq. What is your position on permanent bases in Iraq and how will that be viewed by Muslims in connection with the tenets of their faith regarding infidel occupation? How are our troops of 18-24 yos who do not speak the language or know the culture or religion – how would YOU tell them they can identify “the enemy” in Iraq? If the result of the Iraq war and the military handling of the war is that most soldiers on the ground end up with hatred and distrust for the Iraqi people – many of whom clearly support attacks on American troops – then what has been accomplished? eetc etc.

13. If you receive intelligence indicating that only 5% or less of the violence in Iraq is tied to organizations like al-Qaeda, how will you handle Executive Branch statements that we need to stay in Iraq to defeat al-Qaeda?

14. When you are sworn into office, you will be swearing to uphold – not the Executive’s positions – but rather the Consitution. How do you view your duties under the Constitution v. your obligations to the President.

15. What do you view as the appropriate penalty to any member of DOD who lies to Congress or withholds information from Congress?

16. Nuts and bolts questions – they should get the list from Murtha – how do we protect supply routes with fewer troops or with more troops? What do we do about equipment failure and re-supply rates? Where is the money coming from, where are the troops coming from, how do we accomplish what is needed with what we have, what will be needed to “win” the war and how is that the highest and best use of America’s resources with a soc sec system approaching bankruptcy and a health care system is out of reach of middle income Americans? Are we attracting the correct skills to the military? What is your position on dropping standards? What should be the punishment of recruiters who lie? Recruiters on tape who tell recruits the war in Iraq is over – what should happen to them? What kinds of injuries are being generated by Iraq? How is the military set up to cope with them. What are the military goals that remain? When should our troops be required to abandon one of their own – as was done recently?

17 Are you in favor of continuing to focus on the Iraq effort at the expense of depleted National Guard ranks and equipment and what will you be doing to insure that Iraq does not result in our failures to respond adequately at home to disasters such as Katrina. How do you rate the Katrina response?

18 Do you believe that loyalty has been promoted over competence at DOD and what mechanisms willyou personally implement to insure the promotion and attraction of competent, honest and honorable officers to and for the military? What is the place of religion and ideology in the military? What is the place of outside contractors and contracting? What mechanims will you personally implement to disconnect the military leadership from the revovling lobbying door and directorship doors to the military suppliers and as a director yourself for many organizations with ties to supplying the AMerican military and who benefit for continued conflict to enhance sales – how do you reconcile those positions yourself?

Stream of consiousness, so repetitive and typos and besides – who will ask those question? Closest I saw was Kennedy getting Gates to admit that his “fresh eyes” mean nada as long as the “unfresh eye” of the President make the decisions.

[belated kudos to scarecrow and Matt on their earlierposts]

John Casper @ 58

Sparkles the Iguana @
50

Does Mr. Gates have a wife, and can we expect her to jump up and leave the room in tears?

Nice catch.

At the top of Gates’ opening statement, he told the committee that Mrs. Gates “asked to be excused” so she could accompany one of the Texas A&M sports teams (basketball?) to an away game.

This struck me as very odd – presumably she was not asking the committee to be excused, so that only leaves asking Mr. Gates. Maybe it’s just the phrasing, but I bristled to think that Mrs G had to ask permission.

Another question…I read in Stars and Stripes that the new armour protection for our troops won’t be ready until the end of 2007.

Now if this war is the most important thing evah as Bush likes to say….how come it takes over a year to get that protection contracted out and completed?

Where’s the national committment to urgency commensurate to the stated threat?

perris @ 62

Sparkles the Iguana @ 60

I’m not watching this on the tv. Has anyone asked him about Iran-Contra?

I’m not watching either, man that needs to be broached.

Unless I missed it, that seems to be the elephant in the room. Again, the Dems on that committee are determined to confirm him, warts and all.

{{{Mrs. K8}}}

John Casper @ 58

Sparkles the Iguana @
50

Does Mr. Gates have a wife, and can we expect her to jump up and leave the room in tears?

Nice catch.

Mr. Gates has a wife, but announced at the beginning that she had declined to come to the hearing because she had a prior committment. I liked that.

Mary @65:

Great stuff!

Mary at 65. Excellent comment. You reminded me of the question I really want to hear.

“The Constitution says only Congress can declare war and the President Bush says he can. Which side are you on Dr. Gates?”

cl

Q: Were you involved in the creation of any false information for US public consumption before the first Gulf War began? How about false information use to gain support for other countries to join the coalition?

If this were my question, Isbister, I would rephrase it by replacing the word “false” with “misleading.”

We all know how these weasels figure out how to say something which might be technically “true” while at the same time being misleading, i.e. deliberately deceptive about the matter.

[St. Augustine had plenty to say about this type of legalistic thinking. And none of it was good.]

Go Mary!

Mary @ 65

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream . . .”

If your list is the product of a “stream of consciousness,” I’d say you and the prophet Amos were talking about the same waters. Thanks!

A – What is your position on death squads and the support of death squads as a legitimate means to address insurgency in Iraq. What is your personal knowledge of any prior US efforts to support death squads and the success, failure and legality of those efforts?

B – What types of behaviour does the Military Commissions Act authorize? Will you take the position that the MCA grants amnesty for war crime and/or for clear violations of the then existing UCMJ so long as there was some interrogation tie?

C – To what extent will DOD be cooperating with the investigations in Spain, Italy and Germany into the use of Military bases as Secret rendition prisons in violation of the laws of those countries and what is your position on your and the US obligations to respect the laws of countries where our bases are located? Will you hand over military officers who have commited crimes in those countries under their laws and if not, why not?

D- Given the current changes to the MCA and the postitions taken by the Executive to date – what protections are granted to a soldier who claims they were following orders and at what point, vis a vis the Nuremberg trials, do you personally believe that a soldier can and should claim an order is illegal and refuse to follow it?

RBG @ 69

{{{Mrs. K8}}}

Back atcha, honey!

Mmwaahh (smack)! A kiss blown your way.

Peterr @ 66

John Casper @ 58

Sparkles the Iguana @
50

Does Mr. Gates have a wife, and can we expect her to jump up and leave the room in tears?

Nice catch.

At the top of Gates’ opening statement, he told the committee that Mrs. Gates “asked to be excused” so she could accompany one of the Texas A&M sports teams (basketball?) to an away game.

This struck me as very odd – presumably she was not asking the committee to be excused, so that only leaves asking Mr. Gates. Maybe it’s just the phrasing, but I bristled to think that Mrs G had to ask permission.

A male team or a female team?

Ed*ard Teller @ 51

Sparkles the Iguana @
47

What font will be chosen for the “Mission Accomplished Again” banner?

Font, schmont – the correct term is “Mission Accomplisheder.”

“Mission Accomplicated.”

Peterr –

“Asked to be excused”?!?!

Jeepers, it’s another Ozzie and Harriet team. Just what this world needs.

-ck- @
20

Question for Robert Gates:

Have you ever had intimate relations with Donald Rumsfeld?

If yes, second question:

Did you enjoy it?

If either answer is no, you are confirmed!!!

Yes, but I didn’t inhale?

First, it’s not clear to me why we would not want Gates confirmed. Any delay in filling the seat will be a delay in facing reality. And runs the risk that that Maliki falls. Iraq is a failed state now, but if it loses the appearance of a state, things will just get worse.

My questions:

Can you describe any concrete metric that you would describe as characterizing “completing the missions”?

I have yet to see a proposal from anyone that has the US withdrawing all its forces from Iraq. The proposals always leave tens of thousands of troops occupying the Forward Operating Bases. Under your leadership, do you intend to recommend a permanent occupation of Iraq? Or can you state clearly that the ultimate plan is the withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq?

Isbister @ 64

Q: You were aware of US assisting the mujahadeen in the USSR/Afghanistan war. What kind of follow up did you reccommend when the USSR decided to pull out?

Q: Could you explain your position when Saddam gassed the Kurds? Were you for or against the Administration’s actions?

Q: Did you have any role in arming Iraq before the first Gulf War?

Q: Do you know anything about the causes of Gulf War Syndrome?

Q: How was Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait missed and what role did you play in that failure?

Q: Were you involved in the creation of any false information for US public consumption before the first Gulf War began? How about false information use to gain support for other countries to join the coalition?

Q: As the first Gulf War was ending, there was some debate within the Administration about whether the US should continue on and topple Saddam. Which side of the debate were you on?

Q: Did you have any role in the cover-up of US atrocities in the first Gulf War? Atrocities such as the Highway of Death for example?

Q: When the first President Bush left the Shiite and Kurds on their own to get slaughtered by Saddam after the first Gulf War, what did you reccommend to the President?

Q: Could you explain how the CIA failed to detect any element of the first World Trade Center bombing plot under your watch?

Q: On the morning of 9/11 did you get a clearer understanding of the term “blowback”? If so, how will your current understanding guide you today? If not, why are you sitting there… get out!

WOW great questions. He should be asked all about Iran Contra and the earlier war.

Oh Mary don’t ya weep don’t ya moan. You are on fire. I wish you were asking Gates these questions. ThanksMary @ 76

A – What is your position on death squads and the support of death squads as a legitimate means to address insurgency in Iraq. What is your personal knowledge of any prior US efforts to support death squads and the success, failure and legality of those efforts?

B – What types of behaviour does the Military Commissions Act authorize? Will you take the position that the MCA grants amnesty for war crime and/or for clear violations of the then existing UCMJ so long as there was some interrogation tie?

C – To what extent will DOD be cooperating with the investigations in Spain, Italy and Germany into the use of Military bases as Secret rendition prisons in violation of the laws of those countries and what is your position on your and the US obligations to respect the laws of countries where our bases are located? Will you hand over military officers who have commited crimes in those countries under their laws and if not, why not?

D- Given the current changes to the MCA and the postitions taken by the Executive to date – what protections are granted to a soldier who claims they were following orders and at what point, vis a vis the Nuremberg trials, do you personally believe that a soldier can and should claim an order is illegal and refuse to follow it?

new thread

Twolf1 — oops — I mis-timed the thread. Meant to hit save instead of publish. That will go up in a few minutes. Sorry gang!

Okay, questions for Herr Gates:

1) Should anyone with close associations to defense contractors, including yourself, ever be considered for a position in government which requires management of large defense contracts?

2) Will you call for an end to the privatization of military logistics support which has resulted in gross corruption in military contracting, especially in the LOGCAP program?

3) Will you recommend to Congress that it end earmarks related to “black world” projects of all kinds?

4) Is it in the best interest of the Middle East as a whole that US troops leave the region entirely? (Specifically, not our interest, but, rather, the interests of non-combatants in all of the Middle East.)

5) Did William Casey ever ask you, or did you offer to, alter either the substance or tone of a CIA intelligence assessment to suit, please or otherwise accommodate White House policy?

6) Did Donald Gregg ever supply you information, materials or background on the Carter White House reelection plans at any time?

7) Your colleagues in the CIA have variously described you as having a “photographic” memory or an “eidetic” memory. The general gist of those remarks is that your memory is near faultless regarding details. Why, then, did you fail to recall details of Iran-Contra of which you were, as Bill Casey’s assistant, in a position to know, thirty-three times, during interviews with Iran-Contra investigators?

8) Before or concurrent with or after your nomination for the position of Secretary of Defense by President Bush, were you given instructions or suggestions, formally or informally, by former President Bush, former Secretary of State Baker, Gen. Scowcroft or any other individuals currently outside the formal structure of government, and, if so, what were those instructions or suggestions?

9) Before the arrival of William Casey as DCI, what was your grade and title in the CIA, and what was your grade and title after Mr. Casey became DCI?

10) Previously, you have been asked about your whereabouts on Oct. 19th, 1980. The answers you provided and the corroborating sources you offered were actually for events during the two days prior to that date. Where were you on October 19 and 20, 1980, and will you supply documentation in verification of your answer?

I think that would do it for now, and, yes, I’d love to know the answers to all those questions before Mr. Gates begins to answer them. :)

Christy Hardin Smith @
86

Twolf1 — oops — I mis-timed the thread. Meant to hit save instead of publish. That will go up in a few minutes. Sorry gang!

Thanks for explaining!

(I thought I’d just entered the Twilight Zone — through the door marked “404 Not Found.”)

I thought “It’s not a religion, It’s a lifestyle,” was going to be satirical commentary on David Bowie; then it disappeared and I was sure.

Christy @ 86

I was wondering whether I imagined that!

twolf1 is too quick on the RSS feed. I was pulling the post back as the heads up came in…oops!

montag @ 87

Okay, questions for Herr Gates:

montag rocks!

Ask him if he has any financial interests in the defense industry.

If it is a civil war and it is…how can our troops choose sides. How can they fight against the Sunnis without angering the Saudis? If we fight against the Shiites we will anger the Iraqis Maliki?

Bustednuckles @ 93:

Go over to Talking Points memo and read their summary of his (24 page) disclosure statement. Short answer: He has interests, yes.

Bustednuckles @ 93

Ask him if he has any financial interests in the defense industry.

He is the defense industry. With the exception of his tenure at A&M, he’s jumped from one “private sector” (read military-industrial) corporation to another since CIA. Apparently, many job changes were followed by lucrative ‘no bid’ contracts to former employers.

montag @ 87

Okay, questions for Herr Gates:

10) Previously, you have been asked about your whereabouts on Oct. 19th, 1980. The answers you provided and the corroborating sources you offered were actually for events during the two days prior to that date. Where were you on October 19 and 20, 1980, and will you supply documentation in verification of your answer?

All excellent and noteworthy but, in going over the Iran-contra affair, this one sticks out in my mind too!

SOOOO, no conflict of interest there.
Move on, nothing to see here.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 91

twolf1 is too quick on the RSS feed. I was pulling the post back as the heads up came in…oops!

no RSS here. just luck

How about:

Are you going to light a fire under the IG’s butt and get the investigation of FeithCo wrapped up?

File the Gates Hearing into the Law Of Foregone
Conclusions…
It will be a 99-1 vote (maybe Bryd will object)
I love Senator Bryd.
I learned more about our loopy Repug Senators than about the good Doctor Gates.
I hope someone asks him about torture and
the law suit against the current SECDEF…

Jack

Question for gates – Do you think Bush is a terrible, evil president… or the worst president ever?

johnSwifty @ 97

All excellent and noteworthy but, in going over the Iran-contra affair, this one sticks out in my mind too!

Let’s put it this way–if I knew the specifics to all those questions (quite apart from what I reasonably suspect), I would have Gates twitching for two or three days. And, when he was sweating like Nixon under the television lights during the 1960 debate, I would then hit him with that last question.

And then watch him shatter like cheap china. That little prick is dirty.

twolf1 @ 102

Question for gates – Do you think Bush is a terrible, evil president… or the worst president ever?

That’s decidedly fair and balanced!

Who was the cutest girl on the Iraq Study Group, and did you hook up with her?

johnSwifty @ 104

twolf1 @ 102

Question for gates – Do you think Bush is a terrible, evil president… or the worst president ever?

That’s decidedly fair and balanced!

To be truly fair and balanced, one would have to offer yet one more option: “… or, do you think he’s just the dumbest fuck to ever step into the Oval Office?”

Can someone provide me with a quick summary of the importance of the dates of October 19 and 20, 1980 with respect to Gates?

Sparkles the Iguana @ 78

Peterr @ 66

John Casper @ 58

Sparkles the Iguana @
50

Does Mr. Gates have a wife, and can we expect her to jump up and leave the room in tears?

Nice catch.

At the top of Gates’ opening statement, he told the committee that Mrs. Gates “asked to be excused” so she could accompany one of the Texas A&M sports teams (basketball?) to an away game.

This struck me as very odd – presumably she was not asking the committee to be excused, so that only leaves asking Mr. Gates. Maybe it’s just the phrasing, but I bristled to think that Mrs G had to ask permission.

A male team or a female team?

a womens team – sorry I left that out above.

Sure Gates will be confirmed. But rigorous questioning by the committee will give him notice that he will be watched like a hawk, so to speak, as Sec. of D.

montag @ 103

That little prick is dirty.

And you want to know where he’s been…

Yeah, ANY truthful answers to a single one of your directed questions would open doors and doors of investigative opportunities.

I can only imagine the administration thinks it can wash this guy through on the final dregs of the ‘kool-aid’ congress. Any real investigative questioning would sink him like a lead balloon.

Mr. Gates, would you find it yo be ironic of US troops were killed by missiles that were illegally sold to Iran by the Bush/Reagan administration?

-GSD

NPR reports that Gates used to be an anti-war activist, was very very ambitions in the CIA, and wanted to give his ‘bosses what they wanted’ (including exaggerated reports of danger).

Who will Gates consider to be the bosses whose needs he must meet? Congress? The President? The generals?

How would Gates deal with the conflicting needs of the Congress and the President?

Biodun @ 109

Sure Gates will be confirmed. But rigorous questioning by the committee will give him notice that he will be watched like a hawk, so to speak, as Sec. of D.

Waitin’ on the rigor, more tests are necessary before the post mortem.

Punning aside (h/t punaise); I can only hope the closed sessions give him at least a reason to break a sweat, ’cause I don’t think we’ll see a blessed thing of value in the general media.

poputonian over at “hullabaloo” has a great post up. read it and see if the question posed to gates might be:

“given his foresight and accurate predictions about what might happen in iraq before we invaded the place, will you seek the council of senator feingold about what we should do next?”

JF @ 107

Can someone provide me with a quick summary of the importance of the dates of October 19 and 20, 1980 with respect to Gates?

Gates is reputed to have been in Paris on Oct. 19th to participate in meetings with Iranian officials, accompanying George H.W. Bush, about the release of hostages after Reagan was elected.

If you go to Robert Parry’s “X-Files” archives at his site, you’ll get a much more in-depth look at the matter.

here’s a transcript of Byrd vs. Gates from Thinkprogress:

BYRD: Mr. Chairman, I thank you.

And, Dr. Gates, our relationship goes back over a number of years.

Do you support — now, we hear all these rumors about the potential for an attack on Iran due to its nuclear weapons program, or on Syria due to its support of terrorism.

Do you support an attack on Iran?

GATES: Senator Byrd, I think that military action against Iran would be an absolute last resort, that any problems that we have with Iran, our first option should be diplomacy and working with our allies to try and deal with the problems that Iran is posing to us.

I think that we have seen, in Iraq, that once war is unleashed, it becomes unpredictable. And I think that the consequences of a military conflict with Iran could be quite dramatic.

And therefore, I would counsel against military action except as a last resort and if we felt our vital interests were threatened.

[snip]

BYRD: Would you say that an attack on either Iran or Syria would worsen the violence in Iraq and lead to greater American casualties?

GATES: Yes, sir, I think that’s very likely.

BYRD: Your answer is yes on both questions?

GATES: Yes, sir, very likely.

Mr. Gates, would you find it to be ironic of US troops were killed by missiles that were illegally sold to Iran by the Bush/Reagan administration?

-GSD

sorry, that should’ve been counsel.

MS @ 112

NPR reports that Gates used to be an anti-war activist, was very very ambitions in the CIA, and wanted to give his ‘bosses what they wanted’ (including exaggerated reports of danger).

Who will Gates consider to be the bosses whose needs he must meet? Congress? The President? The generals?

How would Gates deal with the conflicting needs of the Congress and the President?

Anti-war? You wouldn’t know it from Nicaragua–he wanted to bomb the Sandinistas with US aircraft….

GSD @ 117

Mr. Gates, would you find it to be ironic of US troops were killed by missiles that were illegally sold to Iran by the Bush/Reagan administration?

-GSD

I like that one.

new thread? hope i’m not jumping the gun again

Mr. Gates, would you mind if we were to seat Mrs. Sam Alito behind you during the questioning?

-GSD

montag @ 106

johnSwifty @ 104

twolf1 @ 102

Question for gates – Do you think Bush is a terrible, evil president… or the worst president ever?

That’s decidedly fair and balanced!

To be truly fair and balanced, one would have to offer yet one more option: “… or, do you think he’s just the dumbest fuck to ever step into the Oval Office?”

or let him put his foot in his own mouth and offer;

or is he a military genious who has never made a mistake regarding national security

perris @ 123

or let him put his foot in his own mouth and offer;

or is he a military genious who has never made a mistake regarding national security

I’m afraid that irony, however subtle or unsubtle, would be over the heads of most of the esteemed Senators on that committee….

afternoon session of gates’ hearing is just about to start – on cspan-3 (and maybe other sources?).

We’ve learned that Jose Padilla doesn’t care what he has for breakfast, or when, or whether. We’ve learned that he doesn’t know if his lawyers are working for him, or for the guvmint. We’ve learned that Mr. Padilla has become as docile as a piece of furniture.

We already knew that he was a citizen of this former country, despite having no concept of Iran Contra.

So my question to you, Mr. Gates: “Do you think Mr. Padilla should be nominated to be Press Secretary for the Pentagon?”

(I’m crying inside that we’ve fallen so far that this bad joke can’t alleviate the pain. I wish i was a Maytag repairman.)

Yeah, the Iran Contra thing is big. That was much worse than Watergate and Gates was totally in on it. Of course, no one will say anything about it–old news and all.

To the nominee:

1) What is your understanding of the internal DOD protocol to verify and execute an order commanding the use of atomic weaponry? Under what circumstances can you envision such an order being given by the President and would you personally expedite such an order according to protocol, or initiate further inquiry?

2) What is your view of the currently authorized “interrogation” techniques, as interpreted and facilitated by DOD in conjunction with the CIA, which many point out represent de facto torture as previously understood by the US military, as far as the short and long range implications for the well being of American troops that may be captured by an “enemy”?

Mrs. Gates is showing her disapproval of her groom taking on the assignment by not going to the damn hearing. Plus, he makes more money at A&M and they are treated like swells, dontcha know.

And the world wouldn’t be missing much if the rubber-stamp Committee had gone with her. All of them.

From selise’s Ray McGovern link:

The Anyone-But-Rumsfeld syndrome, which has understandable appeal. Just how much appeal was brought home to me last week, when a former colleague who worked closely with Gates during Iran-Contra said, “Despite my misgivings, I would support Satan himself in preference to Rumsfeld.”

In the spirit of Bill Maher, here’s a new rule. If you don’t understand the concept of false dichotomy, you are too stupid to be in Congress. It certainly looks like these senators are just as unaware of the concept as McGovern’s former colleague.

Mr. Gates, do you have any financial interest in the oil business?
From DKos
“Gates–Chevron Vice Chairman. Shh…
by Gorette
Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 10:39:40 AM PST
Robert M. Gates was an oil “executive” but you would barely know it to google his name. Did he have his connection to oil scrubbed? None of his bios contain this information, certainly not the one from the White House.
Gates, like his buddies, Bush 41, Bush 43 and Dick Cheney, has oil in his blood. It’s like a deep, dark river, the primordial muck in which they are sunk, hook, line and sinker.
Do we need an OIL Corp Vice Chairman at the helm of the Department of Defense in war time? Why does this matter? They have all been involved with Afganistan and Iraq and Iran. Yes, even Afganistan has oil. Was Gates a member of Dick Cheney’s infamous energy cabal, the one Dick refuses to give up? Is that why they are so secretive about his oil executive background?”

The well phrased questions offered here by everyone else make mine look rude in comparison. Actually, I think mine are probably rude standing alone….I’ve lost all patience with my political leaders.

rumi @ 133

The well phrased questions offered here by everyone else make mine look rude in comparison. Actually, I think mine are probably rude standing alone….I’ve lost all patience with my political leaders.

i think there is a consensus here that civility is highly over rated… especially when it comes to “ jailing citizens indefinitely on unseen evidence“!

How does this comment from Wayne Madsen strike you???:

The late British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, a Scotland native, wrote as much about Al Qaeda being a fake organization just before his untimely death. Cook wrote in The Guardian, “Bin Laden was, though, a product of a monumental miscalculation by western security agencies. Throughout the 80s he was armed by the CIA and funded by the Saudis to wage jihad against the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. Al-Qaida, literally “the database”, was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujahideen who were recruited and trained with help from the CIA to defeat the Russians.” Cook, as Foreign Secretary, was also the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and was privy to most of the files on the origins of Al Qaeda and its links to the CIA and the Reagan-Bush I administrations.

selise @
134

rumi @ 133

The well phrased questions offered here by everyone else make mine look rude in comparison. Actually, I think mine are probably rude standing alone….I’ve lost all patience with my political leaders.

i think there is a consensus here that civility is highly over rated… especially when it comes to “ jailing citizens indefinitely on unseen evidence“!

Anyone at anytime and anywhere with no reasonable justification needed. I’m going nuts over the fact that more people don’t care…not here of course but out there——–>world

rumi @ 136

Anyone at anytime and anywhere with no reasonable justification needed. I’m going nuts over the fact that more people don’t care…not here of course but out there——–>world

yeah me too. have you read this post (and the comments) from glenn? if not, i highly recommend it.

Imagine how many others have been completely broken by this sadistic system that we don’t even know about? It breaks my heart to see Padilla like that. I hope that the political leaders in Congress are included in upcoming lawsuits for enabling crimes against humanity. That might be a wake-up call.

I had a theory once, by finding connections in documents, that Padilla was likely recruited as a govt informant or similar from his gang activity in Chicago. There was a famous top gang leader in prison from the Chicago area that had similar links and links to Padilla (I think it was). One search that pulled that up was during the trials of the police teams that finally got busted for torture a bunch of years ago.

…thanks for the link.

“all options on the table,” Mr. Gates? Even option number FOUR?

Troops
Home
NOW

??

selise – check this link out, if you haven’t seen it yet. In reading the story behind the words, think back to the controversial Liberty City bust last summer. That’s the one with the cast of crazy characters like Prince Manna. This link ties in or around to that same scenario of the Moorish sect, criminal network for financing and some possible ties to Hezbollah links. It sure looks like the most of these are govt sponsored , sanctioned or allowed at one time or another. In the process, the convolutions turn the govt back against the participants when it’s convenient for the govt. They just get new players.

Here is one that has connections/similarities either coincidental or otherwise

The alleged leader of the Miami gang accused of wanting to blow up Chicago’s Sears Tower grew up in a family of ministers and once was a Guardian Angel, his family said.

Q. Being that the American people want us out of Iraq now – and being that the Iraqis want us out of Iraq now – what is you don’t understand about getting out of Iraq now?

rumi – wow. the mind just boggles.

I especially liked the part where the govt gave the street gangs huge amounts of cash/grants without requiring any accountability for where it went…lol

Mr. Gates, as a matter of agreed fact, you were the head of the CIA during the collapse of Eastern Block/Ussr.

During that same time you were supporting and promoting “as a fact” that the USSR was going to bury the west unless the west bought more weapons. You were stating that the Communist threat was on the march even as it was collapseing. This also is a Fact, in reality.

This means that your position and analysis of the situation was either the product of increditable stupidity, of the sort only possible when blinded by ideology, or you were lying to promote a US domestic political agenda.
So Mr. Gates you were either lying or are shockingly blind which was it? And why should we expect something other then lies or/and incompetentcy now?

What in you has so changed that your previous errors, for whatever reason, should be overlooked?

Forgive me but Gates has never been held responsible( accountable) for his prior sins and here we are offering him a chance to compound his past errors.

Please I have difficulty maontaining my reason when reading discussions and arguements about Gates.

He is, by accepted data, to either be blind or pathological, to be polite.

The only sensible conclusion is that all who do not vote against his nomination or protest it are seen as accepting his actions, history and potential. This nominee’s accountability is then transferred to any Democrat and kept at the top of the list to oppose in future elections.

The American people voted for change and accountability in 06. Whoever in office that doesn’t “get it” will find similar discontent from now until the next election.

Somebody call Colbert; these folks need to be Put On Notice

The scary thing is this:

If Gates pulls out or is voted down, Bush is gonna nominate someone who makes Gates look like Mother Teresa in comparison.

Question for Gates:

When did you stop lying to your wife about beating her?

Question for Gates:

How many of your children or relatives are now serving in active combat duty in Iraq?

Question for Gates:

When confronted with a recently severed human leg, do you pick it up by the foot or at the knee joint?

Question for Gates:

What would you consider an unacceptable body count for the remainder of 2006? What would be the maximum acceptable body count, and why?

Question for Gates:

If the Committee feels you are not being completely forthright in answering our questions, should we have the right to torture you?

Question for Gates:

If confirmed as Secretary of Defense, do you intend to review and critique video footage of human torture and offer constructive criticism?

Question for Gates:

Do you have previous experience in human torture that you feel would make you qualified for this position?

Did anyone catch Gates saying what a financial burden it will be for him to give up his current job to become Secretary of Defense???? Almost made me want to break out a hanky. Can’t say I’ve noticed too much financial suffering in the upper echelons of this administration and even less after they leave.

Hope I’m not too late for somebody to see this, because I think these (or preferably tightened up revisions of them) really need to be asked:

Do you think the President currently has the authority to initiate military force, including covert or proxy actions, against countries which are unfriendly or uncooperative but which have not attacked us and probably will not (such as Syria, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela or Vermont) or do you believe he would first need additional authorization from Congress?

You mentioned the phrase “immanent threat” (because he probably will); obviously where there is a clear and present danger the President has authority to act, but when it’s less clear, when in doubt, do war making powers rest with Congress or the President? Please elaborate on the impact of the nature of the threat, time-frame and degree of certainty on the need for Congressional authorization. Provide both historical and hypothetical examples.

If directed by the President to initiate military force against Syria or Iran in the absence of overt military aggression on their part and in the absence of additional, specific Congressional authorization, what will you do?

(Note that we ought to have answers to these questions from our SecDef even if you don’t think there are any plans to attack anybody, simply because they’re relevant to his understanding of his job, his relationship with Congress, and his oath of office.)

Oh yeah, and do you believe that everything changed on 9/11? Did the War Powers Clause change?