Gates to Congress … OK, maybe if you put it that way … it is a war

April 1, 2011 | Jim Vicevich | | ,

This really is the testimony of the day. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is grilled by Congress on the White House decision to intervene in the Libyan civil war, kinetic military action, time limited scope limited military action and you can tell by watching the video, even he has a hard time defending the White House politically correct terminology. Even better is his pledge not to ever allow boots on the ground.

First of all you must remember this is the same secretary of defense who said any new Secretary of Defense who advised the President to get involved in a war in the Middle East or North Africa would need to have his head examined, and clearly he was against this intervention in Libya from the start. So it’s not surprising that Mr. Gates would have trouble defending the White houses kinetic military action even if it is a time limited scope limited military action.

Watch for yourselves my little mobsters as the Secretary of Defense is grilled by Congressman Randy Forbes who is in no mood for political correctness. If it walks like a duck.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJej-t57Vhk

One more video and a telling one is the point where Gates promises there will be no boots on the ground.

In his strongest language since the U.S. deployed warplanes to protect Libyan civilians, Gates ruled out sending any U.S. forces to Libya “as long as I’m in this job” — a viewpoint that he said President Obama shared. But he admitted that the rebels needed help to withstand the assault from Kadafi’s forces, even with NATO warplanes overhead.

AP wonders if this is an offer to resign if there will be boots on the ground in the future. Read his whole post.

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Jim Vicevich

Jim is a veteran broadcaster and conservative/libertarian blogger with more than 25 years experience in TV and radio. Jim's was the long-term host of The Jim Vicevich Show on WTIC 1080 in Hartford from 2004 through 2019. Prior to radio, Jim worked as a business and financial reporter for NBC30 - the NBC owned TV station in Hartford - and as business editor at WFSB-TV in Hartford for 14 years while earning six Emmy nominations and three Telly Awards.

12 Comments

  1. TomL on April 1, 2011 at 3:38 am

    I wonder who the new SecDef will be?



  2. Marilyn on April 1, 2011 at 3:43 am

    TomL,  maybe John Kerry, after all he is experienced.



    • Dimsdale on April 1, 2011 at 5:50 am

      Experienced at cutting and running, as well as collecting Purple Hearts….



  3. TomL on April 1, 2011 at 5:18 am

    Must have been quite a discussion between Hillary and Gates



  4. Dimsdale on April 1, 2011 at 5:49 am

    Looks like Hillary is collecting another pair to keep in her purse….



    • GdavidH on April 1, 2011 at 5:56 am

      Ouch!

      Good one.



  5. TomL on April 2, 2011 at 6:08 am

    Dims by now its a suitcase full.



  6. Gary J on April 2, 2011 at 6:57 am

    This guy better be licking the commander in chiefs boots for a while after that  hehehehaha.



  7. sammy22 on April 2, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Sounds like you’ve been watching re-runs of “Mad Men”: innuendos plus abound.



  8. PatRiot on April 3, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    For a guy with a lot of background,  he should be more confident with his weasel word -presumabley.  http://www.defense.gov/bios/biographydetail.aspx?…  

    It still amazes me that they are all lawyers before they are Americans.  That they think of  compromising and carefully chosen weasel words before honoring their oath to support and defend the Constitution.



  9. sammy22 on April 3, 2011 at 4:00 pm

    What's the beef? When was the last time that a President asked (and got) Congress for Declaration of War (which is what the Constitution stipulates)?



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