Appeasement

Interesting exchange between Arlen Specter and Robert Gates:

Gates has, of course, long been on record as favoring a new approach to Iran, but ever since he went to go work for George W. Bush he can't be sensible too loudly.

Comments

I have to say that Mr. Don Williams' favorite senator doesn't look or sound too good. Maybe Mr. Williams' favorite governor will have an opportunity to make an interim appointment in the near future.

Posted by SLC | May 22, 2008 2:24 PM

In the battle of cancer vs. Arlen Specter, SLC roots for cancer. Stay classy, SLC.

Posted by Disgusted | May 22, 2008 2:34 PM

SLC:

Leaving aside the stupidity of your political positions (and they are really stupid), I'm not sure you a) know much about Arlen Specter and b)understand his point.

If you did, you would notice that he sounds like he always has,and this line of reasoning is squarely in accordance with his previous thoughts--he is a moderate, semi-realist republican.

So Im not sure how he sound bad. But Im guessing anything that you don't like (kill all arabs!) sounds pretty bad. Bummer.

Posted by jeff | May 22, 2008 3:07 PM

I guess anyone who thinks the neocons have been doing a great job is going to feel pretty bitter about this exchange.

For my part I was very moved and impressed by both gentlemen.

My opinion of Robert Gates keeps going up and would very much like to see him stay in place--and I suspect he would be much more comfortable with an Obama administration.

Posted by Chris Dornan | May 22, 2008 5:55 PM

I guess my comment wasn't very clear. I will make it perfectly clear so that there will be no misunderstanding.

I hold no ill will toward Senator Spector, despite the fact that his cockamamie 1 bullet hypothesis relative to the Kennedy assassination has generated much unnecessary mischief. I was remarking on his apparent physical condition which doesn't look too good. I was merely speculating that he might have to retire from the Senate if his health continues to deteriorate, thus allowing Governor Rendell to appoint a successor.

Posted by SLC | May 22, 2008 6:10 PM

Anybody who thinks Robert Gates is going to go against Bush on the war on Iran needs to read this:

To Admiral William Fallon (USN ret.), With Respect
Open Appeal for Straight Talk on Iran
by Ray McGovern

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/20/9068/

"Admiral Fallon, you know this to be the case also now with respect to the “intelligence” being fixed to “justify” war with Iran. And no one knows better than you that your departure from the chain of command has turned it over completely to smartly saluting martinets. No doubt you have long since taken the measure, for example, of Defense Secretary Robert Gates. So have I.

I was his branch chief when he was a young, disruptively ambitious, CIA analyst. When Ronald Reagan’s CIA Director William Casey sought someone to shape CIA analysis to accord with his own conviction that the Soviet Union would never change, Gates leaped at the chance, proved his mettle, and bubbled right up to be chief of analysis. After Casey died, Gates admitted to the Washington Post’s Walter Pincus that he (Gates) watched Casey on “issue after issue sit in meetings and present intelligence framed in terms of the policy he wanted pursued.” Gates’ entire career showed that he learned well at Casey’s knee.

So it should come as no surprise that, despite the unanimous judgment of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran stopped the weapons-related aspects of its nuclear program in mid-2003, Gates is now repeating the party line that Iran is hell-bent on acquiring nuclear weapons. Some of his earlier statements were more ambiguous, but Gates recently took advantage of the opportunity to bend with the prevailing winds and freshen his own loyalty oath — to the president.

In an interview on events in the Middle East with a New York Times reporter on April 11, Gates was asked whether he was on the same page as the president, Gates replied, “Same line, same word.” I imagine you are no more surprised at that than I. Bottom line: Gates will salute smartly and transmit the order, legal or illegal, if Cheney persuades the president to let the Air Force and Navy loose on Iran."

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | May 22, 2008 6:22 PM