Kristol Floats ‘Plausible Rumor’ That Hagel Will Replace Gates, Calls Him ‘An Advocate Of Retreat Everywhere’
Kristol Floats ‘Plausible Rumor’ That Hagel Will Replace Gates, Calls Him ‘An Advocate Of Retreat Everywhere’
Yesterday, Foreign Policy Initiative co-founder Bill Kristol appeared on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, where he said that he now believes “for the first time that he will not accept General McChrystal’s recommendation in Afghanistan.” “I really worry now about the next few years to a degree and in a way that I really hadn’t before,” said Kristol.
When Hewitt asked him if a resignation by one of Obama’s top foreign policy advisers “would mobilize public opinion” against Obama’s decisions, Kristol said “it would help.” He added that he had “just heard this morning from someone who’s been in touch with people in the administration, a foreign gentleman who deals with this government, that people are talking about Secretary Gates leaving at the end of the year, and being replaced by Chuck Hagel.” Hewitt and Kristol then took the opportunity to attack Hagel:
KRISTOL: People are talking about Secretary Gates leaving at the end of the year, and being replaced by Chuck Hagel…
HEWITT: Ugh.
KRISTOL: Yeah, exactly, as Secretary of Defense. I think that’s quite a plausible rumor, and a very worrisome one, because he is an advocate of retreat everywhere, I think.
HEWITT: Yeah, it’s sort of neoisolationism replacing neoconservatism as the driving intellectual force behind the intellectuals on either side.
Kristol is typically off-base when he describes Hagel as “an advocate of retreat everywhere.” Instead, Hagel is simply in favor of smarter engagement with the world. As he wrote in the Washington Post earlier this month, “global collaboration does not mean retreating from our standards, values or sovereignty”:
Development of seamless networks of intelligence gathering and sharing, and strengthening alliances, diplomatic cooperation, trade and development can make the biggest long-term difference and have the most lasting impact on building a more stable and secure world. There really are people and organizations committed to destroying America, and we need an agile, flexible and strong military to face these threats. How, when and where we use force are as important as the decision to use it. Relying on the use of force as a centerpiece of our global strategy, as we have in recent years, is economically, strategically and politically unsustainable and will result in unnecessary tragedy — especially for the men and women, and their families, who serve our country.
Indeed, Kristol has long been antithetical towards Hagel’s concern with thinking through the potential negative consequences of military engagement. Before the Iraq war — which Hagel supported before becoming an aggressive critic — Hagel wanted to know, “What comes after a military invasion? Who rules Iraq? Does the United States really want to be in Baghdad, trying to police Baghdad for twenty or thirty years?” Kristol dismissed Hagel with the assertion that “predictions of ethnic turmoil in Iraq are even more questionable than they were in the case of Afghanistan.” Kristol was wrong.
Perhaps, Kristol is lashing out because Hagel has so publicly chastised the foreign policy vision that Kristol supports. In his book, America: Our Next Chapter, Hagel wrote: “So why did we invade Iraq? I believe it was the triumph of the so-called neo-conservative ideology, as well as Bush administration arrogance and incompetence that took America into this war of choice … They obviously made a convincing case to a president with very limited national security and foreign policy experience, who keenly felt the burden of leading the nation in the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack ever on American soil.”
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Kristol is an advocate of getting as many Americans killed as he possibly can
October 1st, 2009 at 1:36 pm.
When Bill KKKristol is correct…
… Then that will be news.
.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:39 pmBill Kristol!
Not only does he lie with impunity, he’s almost NEVER right. Watch this one float down the Memory Hole after it never happens…just like Sarah Palin.
ha ha
Did you know that Bill’s father, the original neocon, Irving, who just died recently, was a STALINIST? a card-carrying Communist? Until the CIA got him to spy for them?
Doesn’t it just seem to fit perfectly?
October 1st, 2009 at 1:39 pmNeo-isolationism? Wow. That’s a mouthful.
Funny how Republicans switch ideologies as soon as they wet their pants. “We’re not into nation-building”, said candidate W. Bush.
They are insane.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:41 pmoh good, now they’re attacking REPUBLICAN veterans. this coming from yet another giant pussy who’s never so much as won a slap fight.
the march to irrelevance won’t be much longer.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pmThis “foreign gentleman” = was his name “Cueball” by any chance?
October 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pmSwamp gas UFOs
October 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pmSqueezed from Kristol’s tiny lips
Excuse yourself, Bill
Kristol is batting, what, .00001?
I think that renders this a non-story,
so count on Wolf Blitzer to be all over it, like Double Jeopardy.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pmShorter, Billy…He thinks too much. Somebody pass me the Excedrin.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:44 pmkrystal hates hagel. Anyone surpised. Who on the left doesn’t krytal hate?
Cite us a sucess story for the right krystal.
Tell us one time when you have been right about anything. Just one.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:45 pmKristol Floats ‘Rumor’ That Hagel Will Replace Gates, Calls Him ‘An Advocate Of Retreat Everywhere’
– - You’re wrong, wrong, wrong Bill. Now just sit there in your wrong, surrounded by wrongness, and be wrong.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:45 pmIf we wanted someone other than Obama to make decisions, we would have elected them. But we didn’t. These neocons think that they somehow represent the majority of Americans. They have deluded themselves into thinking that everyone who voted for Obama has changed their mind or that the election was fluke that should be reversed. The Republicans are setting precedent so when a Republican is elected president, the Dems can act the same way as the Republicans are acting now.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:46 pmHEWITT: Yeah, it’s sort of neoisolationism replacing neoconservatism as the driving intellectual force behind the intellectuals on either side.
That’s the part that fascinates me. Hewitt apparently thinks that neoconservatism was the “driving intellectual force” on the Liberal side as well as the Right. WTF?
Neocons really are completely delusional.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:47 pmHagel asks, “So why did we invade Iraq?”
Israel is the country that screamed the loudest for the invasion of Iraq. Ask Israel why they continuously lobby for war against Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iran, Iraq, and Russia.
And ask why American time, blood, and money has to be spent to defend war mongering Israelis.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:49 pmWow. So now Kristol is throwing Hagel under the bus, huh? Hagel,who was once respected by his Republican Brethern is now a pariah for disagreeing with the Neo-con agenda. And Hagels a respected veteran from what I heard. Kristol is a armchair warrior.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:50 pmRelying on the use of force as a centerpiece of our global strategy, as we have in recent years, is economically, strategically and politically unsustainable and will result in unnecessary tragedy
This kind of clear logic tend to make Neocon craniums implode.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:53 pmSomeone really should point out to America that listening to people who have voices in their heads is probably not such a good idea. Same goes for people who find Gawd in their breakfast food or root vegetables.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:53 pmAnd Kristol has been correct how many times?
October 1st, 2009 at 1:55 pmPoor Chuck Hagel. He probably wanted that job. Now he is cursed by a prediction from Bill’s Kristol ball.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:55 pmForeign Policy Initiative?
What a palatable title to give to an organization of warmongers.
Nonprofit thinktank of war profiteers.
I wonder if KKKarl thought that one up.
How many vehicles of neocon propaganda does Kristol need
October 1st, 2009 at 1:56 pmto make his lies heard?
First of all, Kristol and Hewitt are blithering idiots.
Second of all, Hagel has a job (chairman of the Atlantic Council)
Third, they seem to miss the point. Hagel would make an excellent Secretary of Defense. Unlike the two schmucks decrying him, Hagel’s actually been to war. He is extremely knowledgeable in the area of military strategy. And he knows the importance of never involving the country in war unless clear goals are laid out and a clear path to withdrawal can be devised.
It would be a bit of a surprise if Gates stuck around past 2010; Obama should take a serious look at either Hagel or Anthony Zinni.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:58 pmWhy is Kristol still on MSM for crying out loud? The man has been thoroughly discredited. ALL his dreams and schemes have turned to crap. And yet these talking heads thrive on his every word. WTF?
October 1st, 2009 at 1:58 pmHEWITT: Yeah, it’s sort of neoisolationism replacing neoconservatism as the driving intellectual force behind the intellectuals on either side.
Wow! There two oxymorons in that one sentence.
neoconservative liberal
October 1st, 2009 at 2:00 pmneoconservative intellectual
I would not expect Gates to be departing at the end of this year because I don’t see why he would have accepted the job for only one year. Now if Kristol was speculating about an announcement after the 2010 elections it could make some sense. I have always thought that Gates stayed on because he had some ideas on reform that Bush would not sign off on whereas Obama is a more willing player. If that is the case then there is no way Gates can complete this reform in a single year.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:01 pmBy all means, let’s pay attention to William the Bloody on foreign policy matters.
Then, as history as taught us, we should do the opposite of whatever he says.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:01 pmHEWITT: Yeah, it’s sort of neoisolationism replacing neoconservatism as the driving intellectual force behind the intellectuals on either side.
Hewitt gets the award for being able to neoconservatism and intellectuals in the same sentence.
What does neoconservatism and intellect have to do with one another? I’ve never seen a Neo-Nitwit with a grain of intellect.
Which brings me to this; Why in the hell does anyone listen to Billy Kristol, or numbnuts Hewitt for that matter?
October 1st, 2009 at 2:03 pmAh Kristol and his crystal ball…….when has this buffoon every been right about anything?
October 1st, 2009 at 2:04 pmAt what point do Killy Bristol’s countless wrong guesses and prognostication catch up to him, rendering his opinions moot, worthless and defunct with MSM schedulers, producers, etc.???
October 1st, 2009 at 2:04 pmKristol = Jackass
October 1st, 2009 at 2:06 pmGates is doing a very good job where he is and Hagel is doing a great job where he is–let them do their jobs. Kristol, on the other hand, . . . .
October 1st, 2009 at 2:06 pmIt seems the neocons have really embraced their name. Now they are like little kids playing with a new word. Everything is neo to them. The fact they have no real idea what the concept is is just beyond them but dang, it makes them sound hip.
Like wearing your hat backwards.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:10 pmThere really are people and organizations committed to destroying America…
Such as his “Foreign Policy Institute.”
October 1st, 2009 at 2:17 pmWillaim Kristol couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with complete instructions printed on the heel.
I suppose Kristol’s trying to set the record of being the most wrong of any pundit on the right.
Can we all say ‘putz’?
October 1st, 2009 at 2:19 pmHoodathunk@31
October 1st, 2009 at 2:22 pmWearing your hat backwards can look cool.
The neocons are wearing their pants backwards.
Uncool and disfunctional.
FU(K THE NEOCONS…HARD!!!
PNAC=FPI=BLITHERING IDIOTS
The funniest thing I read all week:
The letter the neocons at FPI sent to Obama (just like they did as PNAC to Clinton re: Iraq) encouraging an uptick in American military in Afghanistan was also signed by Kristol’s new BFF Sarah Palin and KKKarl Rove!
Look at the list of clowns on the list, a real brain trust… a veritable who’s who of losers, liars, chickenhawks and all around s(umbags:
http://www.foreignpolicyi.org/node/11818
Yeah, I’d be listening to these fools when contemplating foreign policy.
I say round up ALL the neocons from FPI and the former PNAC, suit ‘em up, and air drop them right into downtown Kabul. It’ll solve several problems. The neocons get their troop escalation, we get rid of the naocons (preferably forever) and al Quaida can has some fun as well. Odds are Little Billy Kristol would shit his pants just at the thought!
October 1st, 2009 at 2:22 pmLeave it to a neoclown hate radio talker to turn to Billy Kristol for insight on prospective Obama cabinet appointments. Because, as we all know, nobody has their hand on the pulse of the Obama administration like the editorial board of the Weekly Standard.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:26 pmDid you hear about the time that Bill Kristol was right?
Neither have I.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:31 pmKristol’s record for being wrong about everything is unapproachable. He is one of the armchair “warriors” who loves to have your children and your money to kill everyone in any country which will not bow down and kiss our feet. These clowns still think “shock and awe” is a viable approach to improving American interests in the world.
These imperialists continue to long for the time when their fathers and grandfathers could steal and call it good ol’ American Industry and not worry about who or how many innocent people were killed or destroyed in the process.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:32 pmAh Kristol and his crystal ball…….when has this buffoon every been right about anything?
Using his “kristol” ball is really no different than asking the Magic 8 Ball.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:33 pmOne almost has to feel sorry for Bill. Can you imagine going through life watching people’s face light up when they hear they are going to meet Billy Kristol only to watch the inevitable let down and hear…oh, I thought you meant the funny one. Never mind.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:35 pmDNFP, I think the Magic 8 Ball gets more things right just because it is random. I think Bill’s brain was wired backwards at birth and has been arcing and sparking ever since.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:37 pmKKKristol values life from Womb to War.
After that, phuck ‘em, they’re on their own…
October 1st, 2009 at 2:48 pmKristol = signer to PNAC = war profiteering = supported/complicit by MSM = Kristol.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:51 pmFirst things first: This is Bloody Billy Kristol, chickenhawk warmongering coward extaordinaire. What has he ever correct in predicting in his entire life? The guy is wrong about everything so if he predicts it, go the opposite direction.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:52 pmWhen one looks at Billy’s history and whom his father was, then look at him being owned lock-stock-and-barrel by Rupert Murdoch, and add in his adoration of Sarah Palin……. he needs to just go away.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:16 pmI think Wes Clark would be eligible in 2010 to be SecDef….I think there 10 year window after separation from active duty? Wes would be a great choice for Obama…he’s got the horsepower and creds to take on the Republican military complex in the Pentagon. And he’s clearly a Democrat who speaks for me.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:19 pmNew Velvet Revolution Campaign To Stop The Incitement Of Domestic Terror By Extremist Media, Politicians And Religious Leaders: Attorney General Urged To Enforce Laws Stop Domestic Terror
http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_terror/
Read all about it and sign the petition if you are so inclined. There is an excellent write-up on the media abuse and attempts to do something about the current monopolies (like Murdoch).
October 1st, 2009 at 3:20 pmGosh, Chuck Hagel. I remember not too long ago when he said republicans need to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh and hating France. Republicans of yesteryear.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:55 pmBilly-Bob Kristallnacht: draft-dodger turned armchair general
Chuck Hagel: Actual combat veteran
See the difference?
October 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pmWhich branch of the service did tough guy, little Billy Kristol serve in?
Oh yeah,…that’s right.
However he did go to that elite Manhattan prep school which can be pretty tough…….some days the car service would be late and he would have to walk home, it made him the man he is today.
Chuck Hagel is just another pussy coward combat veteran with a couple of Purple Hearts like John Kerry, not a real man like Billy.
October 1st, 2009 at 4:45 pmlavorino says:
Which branch of the service did tough guy, little Billy Kristol serve in?
The Chickshite Brigade. He got a medal for crapping his drawers.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:07 pmIt is long overdue for the US to roll back its vast military empire, with troops and bases in over one hundred foreign countries. We’d be blitting shicks if the Iranians or the Chinese or the Latvians had troops in 100 countries…
October 1st, 2009 at 5:35 pm“They obviously made a convincing case to a president with very limited national security and foreign policy experience, who keenly felt the burden of leading the nation in the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack ever on American soil.”
Is he trying to make Bush seem like a very sympathetic person rather than a greedy, anything for oil kind of guy?
October 1st, 2009 at 6:27 pm“global collaboration does not mean retreating from our standards, values or sovereignty”
that’s rich! What “standards” and “values” are those:
* illegal, unnecessary invasion, regime change, mass murder, and destruction of nations?
* torture, murder, and wanton lawlessness?
* unilateral militarism and treaty violations and revocation?
* blatant ignoring of one’s own Constitution and the rule of law?
ppppuuuullllleeeeezzzzeee. “standards” and “values” my ass!!!!
October 1st, 2009 at 6:30 pmHey Kristol, if Gate’s job is so goddamn easy, why don’t YOU take the job?
Better yet, why don’t you enlist and put yourself on the FRONTLINES like Senator Hagel did in Vietnam? You did inlist in that war and fight, right?
I mean, you and your coherts like guns and all that blowing up kind of stuff – so you should fit right in over there in Afghanistan!!!
October 1st, 2009 at 7:00 pmKristol’s so discredited that trolls won’t even touch this thread. That’s pretty bad.
.
A Patriot Acting says:
I say round up ALL the neocons from FPI and the former PNAC, suit ‘em up, and air drop them right into downtown Kabul.
Actually, downtown Kabul is perfectly safe. It’s the outlying areas that are the problem.
October 1st, 2009 at 9:34 pmThat’s it Republicans, demagogue Chuck Hagel. Better yet why don’t you have Cheney, Limbaugh and the army of Republican phony soldiers demagogue Chuck Hagel. The Republicans are shameless hypocrites.
October 1st, 2009 at 11:04 pmThere’s a special place in hell for Kristol, Wolfowitz, Perle and Cheney. Not a one of them know the fear of shots fired in anger, but they’re always quick to espouse the debunked theory of American military superiority and build foreign and defense policy around it. Disgusting. Too bad no one on the right has the stones to tell stooges like Kristol to crawl back under Cheney’s desk where he belongs.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 amChuck Hagel would make an excellent SecDef. At the very least, he’s one of the people who could form a great advisory board for Gates, if Gates stays on.
As for Bill Kristol, I think we should reinstitute the draft and make Bill Kristol draftee #1; he can have a waiver for his age that allows him to serve, wouldn’t like to see him have to weasel like he did for another conflict (fracking chickenhawk neocons should be banned from any public comment on national security matters).
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:39 pm