Gates expresses regret for aide’s attack on Clinton.
Gates expresses regret for aide’s attack on Clinton.
In a new letter to Sen. Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates apologizes for Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman’s recent attacks on her. He writes, “I emphatically assure you that [the Defense Department does] not claim, suggest, or otherwise believe that congressional oversight emboldens our enemies, nor do we question anyone’s motives in this regard.” The AP reports:
“I truly regret that this important discussion went astray and I also regret any misunderstanding of intention,” Gates wrote.
“I agree with you that planning concerning the future of U.S. forces in Iraq — including the drawdown of those forces at the right time — is not only appropriate but essential,” Gates wrote, adding that Edelman also agrees with that point.
“You may rest assured that such planning is indeed taking place with my active involvement,” he wrote in the letter.
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Maybe Edelman should bail to Wurmser’s risk consulting firm and save Gates any further embarrassment.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:27 pmGood. Apology accepted. Now fire Edelman.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:29 pmApologies are great, but Gates should fire Edelman. Actions speak louder than words.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:29 pmMaybe Edelman should man up and apologize himself. If he’s got the authority to run off at the mouth, he shouldn’t have his boss apologize for him.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:30 pmYeah,
“Sorry, Hill-dawg. Now, go fk yourself!”
July 26th, 2007 at 1:33 pmSo has Edelmann been fired yet?
July 26th, 2007 at 1:33 pmMaybe he should back up that letter by firing the punk-assed chickenhawk.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:34 pmMr. Gates, you would fire the person that wrote such if you were an American. It is disgusting to defend it under any circumstances.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:35 pmor are you as corrupt as the tool that appointed you?
What are you talking about? You most certainly approved that letter, Mr. Gates. If you didn’t insist on reviewing such a critical communication before it is issued, what the hell kind of manager are you? All you did was set up your underling as a fall guy to sign off on a message you were too chicken-sh!t to send by your own hand.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:37 pmI express regret that a white house operative hack sent you that piece of propaganda. I also regret, but must inform you that I can’t fire the hack Edelman because he serves at the pleasure of the president.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:38 pmsame apologist, different name
July 26th, 2007 at 1:41 pmThis marks the official commencement of Gates Watch.
Anyone taking bets on how long Gates will keep HIS job?
July 26th, 2007 at 1:41 pmBlah Blah Blah placate Blah Blah Blah stay the course Blah Blah Blah good cop bad cop Blah Blah Blah we still have no plan. What was the question?
–Gates
July 26th, 2007 at 1:41 pmWhat a wuss. Should have said “I truly regret that this important discussion went astray and I also regret any misunderstanding of intention regarding the fat, socialist cow”
July 26th, 2007 at 1:44 pmOT but: Holy Crap!!!
July 26th, 2007 at 1:44 pm#11 ~ just what I was thinkin.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:45 pmHow many times will be allowed off his chain to utter anything counter to the Darth/Chymp line o’ BS of the week?
I truly regret that this important discussion went astray and I also regret any misunderstanding of intention,†Gates wrote.
And Edelman is going to be fired, when??????????
July 26th, 2007 at 1:46 pmBut, you STILL don’t get to actually see the plans. Neener, neener!
July 26th, 2007 at 1:50 pmRemember when the Chimp was running for Al Gore’s office in 2000 he claimed that if elected he would restor honor and dignity to the White House. This is just another example of where nothing honorable or dignified will be done to right the wrong of a Bush Abomination official. Things will move forward as if nothing had happened. I only wish someone would give Bush a BJ so the Repugnicans would rally around impeachment. That is the most honorable and dignified thing that can happen now.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:52 pmSo, did Gates release the information Hillary requested?
July 26th, 2007 at 1:52 pmThe Hillary exit plan debate has sharp political subtleties
July 26th, 2007 at 1:53 pmIf Cheney and Rumsfeld had not, in what is called an act of depraved indifference, blocked plans and strategies by State, CIA and the Military to prepare for worst case scenarios before engaging in Iraq, America would today have significantly less casualties.
When Hillary says where is the exit plan, which of course the Military has game-played for ten different scenarios, she is saying that America will not again tolerate political operatives to force our Military into incompetent life and death alternatives.
Hillary is stating that America does not want a White House political slogan or Bush/Cheney political plan to masquerade as a well thought out withdrawal plan.
Congress and the troops deserve a set of plan outlines, in hand now thank you very much, created by the best minds so that the withdrawal will neither be delayed nor botched to give political advantage to the creators of this mess.
Military planning will indicate how many deaths, how much cost and what time frame(s) their withdrawal plans indicate.
Knowing the Military’s best estimates makes the overall cost of withdrawal more of a debatable factual matter and less open to Bush/Cheney/Rove fear mongering, propaganda and general political sloganeering.
cognitorex
(pre Gates statement comment)
I would hope that he meant to say “there is already a plan in place which is being constantly reviewed with my active involvement”.
Otherwise one might think that the invasion was ordered with no plan to exit ;)
July 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm“I only wish someone would give Bush a BJ so the Repugnicans would rally around impeachment.”
Jefft Gannon already did, but the White House Press Corpse refused to investigate it.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:55 pmIt’s about time. Gates should have done that immediately instead of as a response to the indignance of the American people.
However, the question Hillary asked remains…
July 26th, 2007 at 1:55 pmI’m impressed.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:57 pmI was unaware Republicans were even capable of regret.
Sounds like “(Discussing Withdrawal Planning) Reinforces Enemy Propaganda” has been removed from the:
July 26th, 2007 at 2:00 pm“Official Republican Iraq Talking Points.”
OT- The Meltdown in Subprime Loans and Mortgages is Ripping a Hole through the Stock Market. The extent of the damage is going to be very severe to our economy. What’s happening in the stock market today is just a little shakin compared to the earthquake that’s coming.
The little strength the economy relied upon for the past 6 years was due to rising Real estate prices. Prices are plunging now. People are going to be wiped out. And consider all the baby boomers who were planning on retiring and selling their houses and liiving off the profit. Now all those plans go on hold. This could be a problem that lasts for the next decade.
Any Presidential Candidates even addressing this coming disaster?
July 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pmPsssst! Gates!! Want some street cred? Fire the asshole! It’s not like he won’t have a job at the American Enterprise Institute within, say, 15 minutes.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:13 pmI noticed none of the bloggers that supported Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman’s recent attacks on Hillary are here. Senator Clinton should with class I might say that she is a leader. Yes we know the GOP is very up set because the crimes committed for 6 1/2 years are coming to light but right now we still have a Constitution. Gates should be held responsible for the actions of Edelman, but with all the lies that have been told coming out to many people would have to be fired.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:20 pmOnce again another stupid mistake. The letter said nothing of the sort. The subject was CONGRESSIONAL, NOT POLITICAL. YOU take it as ANY sort of discussion. If you ever pay attention to what words say instead of what you want them to say you may learn something but I can guarantee it will BE TOO LATE.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:22 pmWhat the idiot Edelman would have said were he not a total, asshole, Neocon:
“Dear Senator Clinton
We routinely plan for all warfighting contingencies, and you can be sure that plans have been developed for various withdrawal scenarios. Thank you for your inquiry”
July 26th, 2007 at 2:22 pm“I emphatically assure you that [the Defense Department does] not claim, suggest, or otherwise believe that congressional oversight emboldens our enemies, nor do we question anyone’s motives in this regard.â€
But edelman’s letter to clinton *did* claim *precisely* what gates says DOD *doesn’t* claim.
So will there be a reprimand for edelman? How about replacing him?
July 26th, 2007 at 2:33 pmEven if there is a plan, which I doubt, you can rest assured it will be a BAD plan and will be poorly executed.
There is only one way to end this occupation. Mutiny. By the privates, the corporals, the entire military. Only then will the carnage stop.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:40 pmCynicon Implant’s civil words on Hillary: “… regarding the fat, socialist cowâ€
Phony Mr. President’s version of what the apology should have been: “Sorry, Hill-dawg. Now, go fk yourself!â€
Yesterday, one of this clan, a troll named “Cowtown,” threw a hissy-fit and decided he was above arguing with me because in answer to a particularly stupid post of his, I referred to him as a “shitheel.”
I’m going to take it upon myself to stop calling people names and attempt to raise the level of discourse around here. I will no longer let trolls who daily roll in the mud bring me down to their level.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:46 pmNo, Edelman works for the 4th branch of gov’t (The Dick branch) so Gates can’t fire him.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:51 pm“You may rest assured that such planning is indeed taking place with my active involvement,†he wrote in the letter.
OK… What is the plan?
July 26th, 2007 at 3:07 pm“I truly regret that this important discussion went astray and I also regret any misunderstanding of intention,â€
What the fu@k does that mean “misunderstanding of intention”? He made his intention quite clear, there was no “misunderstanding” involved. Gates is just another Bush flack. Doesn’t he read what his underlings are writing to our US Senators? Has he given this underling the power to write things to Senators without his permission. You will notice that he totally avoided the subject as to whether he knew this guy was writing that letter to Hillary.
Gates wrote, adding that Edelman also agrees with that point.
Oh really, then why did he say what he did to Hillary Clinton?
That “apology” was the biggest bunch of bull pucky I have read in a long time.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:11 pmThe plan is to stay there for 50 years. Remember, Iraq is just like Korea. Or is it WWII, or the Cold War, or the Crusades. Ah, hell I can’t remember anymore what the Republicans have compared Iraq too. I do know it is nothing like Vietnam though.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:12 pmIsn’t this what they do? They push the envelope, they make outrageous claims, take undue authority unto themselves, and when they can’t stonewall any more, they say, oops! Sorry! And that’s the end of it as far as they’re concerned.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:30 pmThat they commanded the cameras and the microphones in their assaults upon those who disagree with them has no place in their minds.
Maybe Gates is a straight shooter and maybe he doesn’t deserve to be in the same category as the rest of Bush&Co – but when you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
The least Gates should do in order to establish that he MIGHT be of better character than the dogs he hangs around with is to fire Edelmann – yesterday. Otherwise, it is just more of the same.
Apologize and walk away. Meaningless.
The WH continued obstruction of the peoples’ will to learn the truth by declaring exec. priv. shows that the WH is more concerned with their protection of ideology than they are of the protection of Ameican ideals.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:33 pmThey are the true traitors to the very basics of democracy, and their impeachment and subsequent imprisonment is too good for them.
Half-truth, Lies, arrogance, and the hiding behind legalese is nothing more than an Administration bent on the takeover of the U.S.
Edelman, of course, should be apologizing, just before the door hits him on the way out of the Pentagon. If Gates hasn’t fire him, it’s because Cheney threatened to fire Gates. It’s not Sen. Clinton that Edelman gave the finger to, it was the Armed Services Committee, the Senate and the Congress.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:26 pmI’m sure that he’s sorry, I mean, who would have expected that a former aide to Dick Cheney issue such a response to Clinton’s inquiry?
July 26th, 2007 at 4:39 pmOff topic. This is a story that every American must see.
July 27th, 2007 at 12:57 amhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/26/AR2007072602025.html
A polite and sincere letter intended to save lives of those of us in harms way….You should be ashamed. Fire Edlelman? Move your rear end to Iran and have your tongue cut out for speaking such contempt. The Democratic and Republican Apointee (AMB Edelman) was simply dragged into Hillary’s Presidential run and this boiler plate memo taken way out of context for show.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:23 am