Gates: It was the micromanagement that drove me crazy
Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, both former Obama Administration Defense Secretaries tag-teamed the president at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation on Saturday, complaining that the White House wouldn’t listen to the advice they got from the Pentagon;
“Because of that centralization of authority at the White House, there are too few voices that are being heard.”
Without naming the Obama administration, Panetta said that “by the time you get to the White House, the staff has already decided” what should be done.
Yeah, well, at this point it doesn’t matter. Panetta is a Clintonista and the only reason that he is coming out now against Obama is to distance the Clinton Democrats from the failed Obama Democrats in the run up to the political season. Gates’ opposition is purely personal. Both of them are too late. If either had the country’s best interests in their hearts, they would have said something when it could have made a difference rather than waiting until the damage is irreversible.
“My concern in terms of this relationship of the White House and the military is not on the big issues,” Gates told an audience at the presidential foundation in Simi Valley, California.
“It’s in the increasing desire of the White House to control and manage every aspect of military affairs.”
He compared the Obama administration to that of Lyndon Johnson, who “personally chose” military targets in the Vietnam war.
“It was the micromanagement that drove me crazy,” Gates said.
Too little, too late, Bob. You always have to micromanage a fraud.
Thanks to Andy11M for the link.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Big Pentagon
And the troops pay for the ineptitude of these so called “superior’s” with their lives…
I couldn’t imagine what kind of crap they have to deal with out of this clown posse…
DADT.
Was that micromanaged?
Nope, that clusterfuck was stage managed….
I assume both of you are talking about the repeal vice the policy itself?
Indeed Hondo. The repeal was handled badly, like about everything else this administration does regarding the military.
It kinda sorta pisses me off when folks refer to the DADT as if it was some sorta anti-gay policy.
DADT was an ending to the official gay hunting that was standard and by law part of the military prior to DADT.
Prior to DADT, an enlistee had to sign a statement, under penalty of perjury that he/she was not a homosexual as part of their first enlistment package.
That’s what DADT ended.
After DADT it was no longer a felony with prison time to be caught out being homosexual as a service person.
DADT was not some onerous imposition placed on gays. It was the camel’s nose under the tent.
January 2017 can not come soon enough. This clown posse has set back America a generation or more due to the lame stream media AKA Democratic operatives with by lines (HT to Mr. Reynolds of Instapundit).
“by the time you get to the White House, the staff has already decided” what should be done. And, usually, the decision is to go with the Callaway clubs and the Titlest balls.
Seriously, I got no use for any of these guys who work for the Golfer in Mom Jeans, leave, and then tell all (or some, anyway. Gotta save something for the sequel.) When they had their chance to step away and say, “I can’t work for him any longer and here’s why America” they covered for him or hugged a soccer ball. Thanks loads. Now they want to make a buck on the lecture circuit, publishing a book, working for CNN/MSNBC, or all of those things. Bastards each. Bastards all.
“Bastards Each: Bastards All” Damn good book title. Write a book and you can have it.
Panetta is clearly campaigning for Hillary. When he said, “Because of that centralization of authority at the White House, there are too few voices that are being heard” he is protecting Hillary for the Benghazi attacks.
Panetta has two missions. The first is protect Hillary. The second is to recast the Democrat Party after the Obama presidency. As evidenced by the last election, Obama has destroyed the image and future of the Democrats. Panetta has to make it seem like Obama was an anomaly and that Democrats aren’t really like Obama, who was controlling and manipulative.
Everything Panetta says from now on is to distance Democrats from the Obama disaster and recast themselves as victims of Obama’s personal failures.
Just expounding on what Jonn said above.
My fear is that the Democrats will do whatever it takes to put another Democrat in the WH, and won’t flinch if that includes it being illegal, immoral, unethical or anti-American. I can’t think of anything Gates, Panetta, or anyone else can say or do now that will prevent the damage Obama will do – and MEANS to do – in the next year with his veto and his pen.
If I read history correctly, LBJ made at least some of his micromanaging decisions with input and support from the math fanatic McNamara. That guy didn’t make any attempt to improve the situation in the 1960s, just like these two made no such attempt since 2008. So in a way, they’re more right than they realize. And they both still suck.
This type of thing was being whispered(loudly in conservative media) since the get go with the Obama Administration. If either of those two men gave a real shit, they would have said/done something then. Not wait until now when Obama is a lame duck and extremely unpopular. It is all political for them, no doubt at all about it.
Jonn…Thanks for this. Also, “Too little, too late, Bob. You always have to micromanage a fraud.” I got nothing better over here so I’ll just clap.
Then why didn’t you resign on principle, Bob? Oh, that’s right, you don’t have any.