TPMDC Robert Gates
Ben Bernanke
Congressional Dysfunction Begins To Spook Old Pros
U.S. Capitol building
Congress has always been Washington's whipping boy, particularly near election time. The antics get sillier, the pace shifts from glacial to gridlock, and the frustrated public gets daily reminders that lawmakers are often too mired in politics to function in the national interest.
That's not news.
What is news is that this time it's starting to scare the pros.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Ben Bernanke, Budget, Congress, Debt Ceiling, Deficit, Economy, Eric Cantor, Government Shutdown, Recession, Robert Gates, Stimulus, Timothy Geithner, Unemployment
Leon Panetta
Panetta Under Pressure To Slash Defense Spending
CIA Director Leon Panetta
This 4th of July Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who just took over at the Pentagon on Friday, has a lot more on his mind than patriotism and fireworks.
Panetta is already being forced to walk a fine line between those in his party looking for even bigger defense cuts than his predecessor Roberts Gates recommended and critics who worry that too much streamlining will produce a hollow force.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Defense Spending, Dennis Moore, Department of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, House Republicans, Leon Panetta, Pentagon budget, Robert Gates, pentagon
Afghanistan
Panetta Sidesteps Barrage Of Questions On Afghan Drawdown
Leon Panetta, tapped by President Obama to succeed Robert Gates as defense secretary, attempted to dodge the most critical question facing the military and the administration right now during his nomination hearing Thursday.
Panetta faced a barrage of questions about the upcoming drawdown of troops in Afghanistan after signaling that he backed the President's call for a "significant" reduction of U.S. troops beginning in July.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 'Obama's Wars', Afghanistan, Carl Levin, Department of Defense, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Leon Panetta, Robert Gates, Saxby Chambliss, Troops, pentagon
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama Set For Outreach To Skeptical Arab World
Reuters reports: "President Barack Obama will lay out a new U.S. strategy toward a skeptical Arab world on Thursday, offering fresh aid to promote democratic change as he seeks to shape the outcome of popular uprisings threatening both friends and foes. In his much-anticipated 'Arab spring' speech, Obama will try to reset relations with the Middle East, but his outreach could falter amid Arab frustration over an uneven U.S. response to the region's revolts and his failure to advance Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET, and meet at 11 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 11:40 a.m. ET, he will deliver a speech on the events in the Middle East and North Africa, and U.S. policy in the region. At 2:55 p.m. ET, he will be interviewed by the BBC. He will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET with Treasury Secetary Tim Geithner. At 7 p.m. Et, he will deliver remarks at the Women's Leadership Forum. At 8 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at a DNC event.
Topics: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Gang of Six, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup, Tom Coburn
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP's Big Medicare Gamble
The Hill reports: "Republicans on Capitol Hill may be in the process of learning a hard lesson: Meddling with Medicare, whatever the nation's fiscal circumstances, just isn't popular. They are feeling the heat now because of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) controversial plan to turn Medicare into a type of voucher system. Presented as a serious attempt to fix the program's projected shortfalls, the proposal instead appears to have turned the political tide back toward the congressional Democrats, who were on the ropes after last November's midterms."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 8:45 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9 a.m. ET, arriving at 11 a.m. ET in Memphis, Tennessee. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he will meet with families impacted by the flooding, state and local officials, first responders and volunteers. At 1 p.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement address at Booker T. Washington High School, the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. He will depart from Memphis at 3:25 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 5:15 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Medicare, Newt Gingrich, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup
Libya
Obama Sends $25 Million To Libyan Rebels
President Barack Obama formally ordered up to $25 million in urgent -- but non-military -- aid for Libyan rebels fighting Muammar Qaddafi as a fears of a open-ended stalemate escalated.
Obama granted the funds to Libya's Transitional National Council in a memo from the President to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton early Tuesday evening.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Britain, Hillary Clinton, Libya, Muammar Qaddafi, NATO, Robert Gates, State Department, pentagon
Robert Gates
Gates: Gov't Shutdown Could Delay Paychecks To Troops
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that if the government shuts down, American troops' paychecks could be affected.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Government Shutdown, Iraq, Robert Gates
Libya
Senate Hawks Berate Gates Over Handoff Of Libya To NATO
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates endured nearly six hours of grilling from Congress Thursday, with the most combative questioning coming from -- surprisingly -- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and a group of Senate hawks on the Armed Services Committee who support military intervention in Libya.
McCain expressed grave disappointment about the decision to have the U.S. military forces step aside and allow NATO to take control before Muammar Qaddafi has been toppled from power.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked why the U.S. couldn't simply bomb Qaddafi like President Reagan tried to do in 1986 when he sent cruise missiles into the Libyan leader's palace, killing one of his daughters, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said rebel setbacks over the last two days have been "unsettling."
Topics: Barack Obama, Claire McCaskill, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, NATO, Robert Gates, Senate Armed Services Committee, Susan Collins, pentagon
War Powers Act
Angry Lawmakers Grill Gates On Libya And War Powers Act
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, got a browbeating from Congress today over the White House's decision to ignore Congress and forge ahead with air strikes aimed at ousting Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi and supporting rebel forces.
Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Gates defended the administration's decision to intervene and retooled earlier comments that the U.S. didn't have a vital interest in the North African country after a rash of criticism.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Buck McKeon, House Armed Services Committee, Libya, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, Walter Jones, War Powers Act
Libya
Senate Dems to Delay War Powers Resolutions Until After Briefing
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has asked his caucus to postpone any Libya resolutions until after they receive a classified briefing Tuesday evening.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to brief senators Wednesday night. Afterward, Reid said, all bets are off and Democrats can offer any type of War Powers Resolution they want.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Congress, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Libya, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, Senate, War Powers Act, no-fly zone
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Hillary Clinton: Libya Mission's Progress 'Demonstrates Really Remarkable Leadership'
Appearing on This Week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said of the mission in Libya: "But what is quite remarkable here is that NATO assuming the responsibility for the entire mission means that the United States will move to a supporting role. Just as our allies are helping us in Afghanistan where we bear the disproportionate amount of sacrifice and the cost, we are supporting a mission through NATO that was very much initiated by European requests joined by Arab requests. I think this is a watershed moment in international decision making. We learned a lot in the 1990s. We saw what happened in Rwanda. It took a long time in the Balkans, in Kosovo to deal with a tyrant. But I think in -- what has happened since March 1st and we're not even done with the month demonstrates really remarkable leadership."
Gates: 'No, No,' Libya Did Not Pose Threat -- 'But It Was An Interest'
Appearing on This Week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was asked whether Libya posed an actual threat to the United States. "No, no. It was not -- it was not a vital national interest to the United States, but it was an interest and it was an interest for all of the reasons Secretary Clinton talked about," said Gates. "The engagement of the Arabs, the engagement of the Europeans, the general humanitarian question that was at stake. There was another piece of this though that certainly was a consideration. You've had revolutions on both the East and the West of Libya...Egypt and Tunisia. So you had a potentially significantly destabilizing event taking place in Libya that put at risk potentially the revolutions in both Tunisia and Egypt. And that was another consideration I think we took into account."
Topics: Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Libya, Richard Lugar, Robert Gates, Roundup, Sunday Shows
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Clinton To Attend London Conference On Libya
AFP reports: "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend a London conference Tuesday to discuss coalition military action against Libya, the State Department said. The visit was announced Thursday after a four-way telephone conversation between Clinton and foreign ministers William Hague of Britain, Alain Juppe of France and Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the conference would discuss the Libyan crisis, implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, and the humanitarian needs of those affected by the conflict."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, and meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 4:35 p.m. ET, he will host a reception for Greek Independence Day.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, Hillary Clinton, Israel, Israel/Palestine, Joe Biden, Libya, Mitt Romney, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Cost Of Military Campaign In Libya Could Wipe Out GOP's Spending Cuts
The Hill reports: "U.S. military operations in Libya could wipe out a significant chunk of the budget cuts won by congressional Republicans in recent weeks, defense analysts say. GOP leaders have trumpeted enacted spending reductions that amount to more than $285 million per day since the beginning of March. But defense analysts say the Pentagon could be burning through more than $100 million per day in Libya, putting those budget savings at risk."
Obama's Day Ahead
The First Family departed from Santiago, Chile, at 8 a.m. ET, and will arrive at 2:45 p.m. ET in San Salvador, El Salvador. The President and First Lady will participate in an arrival ceremony at 3:30 p.m. ET. Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with El Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes at 3:50 p.m. ET, , with an expanded bilateral meeting at 4:20 p.m. ET, and a joint press conference at 4:55 p.m. ET. The President and First Lady will attend an official dinner hosted by President Funes at 10:10 p.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, Budget, Education, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Libya, Robert Gates, Roundup, Russia
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
$350,000 Goal Is Set For Obama Re-election Donors
The New York Times reports: "The top contributors to President Obama's re-election campaign were given an ambitious set of marching orders on Thursday, with an elite group of 450 donors each asked to raise $350,000 this year to help finance what is likely to be the most expensive political race in the nation's history...The amount is more than twice what top Democrats were asked to raise four years ago, several participants of the meeting said, and the donors could be given an even bigger goal next year."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET. Then at 10:55 a.m. ET, he will be interviewed by WSOC Charlotte, WSVN Miami and WPVI Philadelphia, to preview his trip to Latin America. Later, the First Family will depart from the White House at 10:15 p.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 10:35 p.m. ET, en route to Brasilia, Brazil.
Topics: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, Citizens United, David Petraeus, Fundraising, Joe Biden, Lobbying, Robert Gates, Roundup
Dianne Feinstein
Feinstein Slams Middle East Intelligence, Urges Caution On No-Fly Zone
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, harshly criticized the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community for failing to forecast the uprising in the Middle East and warned the White House not to intervene in Libya without international support.
"Our intelligence, and I see it all ... was woefully inadequate. [The unrest in] Tunisia was the only intelligence we got right," Feinstein told TPM Tuesday, adding that U.S. intelligence completely missed the instability in Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain.
Topics: Bahrain, CIA, CIA/DNI/Intelligence, Dianne Feinstein, John Kerry, John McCain, Leon Panetta, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Middle East, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, Senate intelligence committee, Tunisia, Yemen, no-fly zone
Libya
Pressure in Congress Mounts For No-Fly Zone In Libya
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
As air attacks against Libyan rebels grow more violent, calls for attacking Muammar Qaddafi's Air Force are growing in Congress.
Britain and France are drafting a UN resolution establishing a no-fly zone, which will be considered at a NATO meeting Thursday.
But some in Congress believe time is of the essence and are urging Obama to act independently.
Topics: Arab League, Carl Levin, John Kerry, John McCain, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, no-fly zone, pentagon
Robert Gates
Gates and Mullen: Iran And Al Qaeda Biggest Losers in Middle East Fallout
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are optimistic about results of anti-government movements in the Middle East and called Iran and al Qaeda the "biggest losers" in the ongoing fallout.
"Iran is the real loser here whether they want to admit it or not," Mullen told reporters during a briefing Tuesday at the Pentagon. "They had no hand in the change ... except the one they used to slap back their own people."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Al Qaeda, Iran, Libya, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, pentagon
Iraq
Gates: GOP Spending Cuts Could Turn Iraq Into Afghanistan Circa 1990
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
I wrote earlier this month about the GOP's plan to lump State Department funds in with "domestic discretionary spending," and, thus, subject it to massive cuts. At the time, Democrats were warning that this could upend the strategy in Iraq, which involves winding down Defense Department involvement and ratcheting up State Department operations.
I don't know how common it is for cabinet secretaries to protect departments other than their own from spending cuts. But Robert Gates did that yesterday.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Iraq, Robert Gates, Spending, State Department, pentagon
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Chances Up For Federal Shutdown
The Hill reports: "The chances of a government shutdown are on the rise. With less than three weeks to strike a deal before government funding for the year is scheduled to expire, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are moving in opposite directions. Lawmakers from both parties stress they want to avoid a rerun of the stalemate that led to a shutdown in late 1995 and early 1996. But the rhetoric on spending has escalated, and Democratic and GOP officials are already prepping for the blame game."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:15 a.m. ET. The President will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet for lunch at 12:15 p.m. ET. Then at 1:30 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will honor recipients of the 2010 Medal of Freedom. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, Chris Christie, Defense Spending, Joe Biden, Pentagon budget, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Federal Judicial Vacancies Reaching Crisis Point
The Washington Post reports: "Since Obama took office, federal judicial vacancies have risen steadily as dozens of judges have left without being replaced by the president's nominees. Experts blame Republican delaying tactics, slow White House nominations and a dysfunctional Senate confirmation system. Six judges have retired in the past six weeks alone."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will meet at 2:30 p.m. ET with the National Policy Alliance. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he and Vice President Biden will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Blue Dogs, Budget, Earmarks, Joe Biden, Judicial nominees, Ray LaHood, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
With Health Reform In Legal Limbo, Dems Consider Their Options
The Hill reports: "Healthcare reform supporters have begun to seek alternatives to the unpopular individual mandate at the heart of Monday's surprising decision overturning the entire law. Officially, the Obama administration dismissed Judge Roger Vinson's decision as a fluke. Two judges have already ruled that the mandate is constitutional, and a third struck down the mandate but not the rest of the law...Yet lawmakers supportive of the law and healthcare activists are already actively contemplating various scenarios for moving forward without the mandate."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. Obama will meet with senior advisers at 10 a.m. ET, and hold a Cabinet meeting at 10:30 am. ET. Obama and Biden will meet for lunch at 12:15 p.m. ET. Obama will meet at 1:30 p.m. ET with members of the Technology CEO Council. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Topics: Barack Obama, Egypt, Health Care, Joe Biden, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama To Name Sperling New Economic Adviser
Reuters reports: "President Barack Obama, retooling his economic team to boost sluggish U.S. growth and tackle emboldened Republicans, will on Friday name Gene Sperling as the new head of his National Economic Council...Sperling's pick to replace Larry Summers at the economic council follows Obama's naming of a new chief of staff and the resignation of his press secretary, as the president shakes up his team after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives this week."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET, and meet at 10:15 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 11:20 a.m. ET, he will tour Thompson Creek Manufacturing in Landover, Maryland, and deliver remarks at 11:35 a.m. ET on the monthly employment report, and make economic personnel announcements -- expected to be the announcement of the appointment of Gene Sperling.
Topics: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Bob Goodlatte, Constitution, DCCC, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gene Sperling, House '12, Pentagon budget, Robert Gates, Roundup
Barack Obama
Obama: DADT Repeal Is Matter Of Months, Not Years
President Obama signs a bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
When President Obama signed a bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell today, he wasn't actually repealing the 17-year-old policy. The law directs the Pentagon to drop the policy -- but only after Obama, the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all certify that the military is ready for it.
And the question has been how long that may take. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been purposely tight-lipped about a time line, refusing to publicly make even vague estimates.
Obama, though, gave a ballpark to The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Mike Mullen, Robert Gates
Barack Obama
Obama Signs DADT Repeal Into Law
President Obama this morning signed into law the bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
"I am just overwhelmed," Obama said as he took the stage among chants of "Yes we can!" and whoops from the audience. "This is a very good day."
"No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military, regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay," he said. "No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie."
Obama was joined on stage by Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, Sens. Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins and Harry Reid and Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran who had pushed for DADT repeal.
"In the coming days, we will begin the process laid out by this law," Obama said, adding that repeal will not go into effect immediately. "It is very important that servicemembers remember that."
He spoke directly to gay soldiers, and said he hoped those discharged under DADT will re-enlist once it is fully repealed.
"There will never be a full accounting of the heroism demonstrated by gay Americans in service to this country," he said. "As the first generation to serve openly in our armed services, you will stand for all those who came before you, and you will serve as role models for all those who will come after you."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Mike Mullen, Robert Gates, Susan Collins
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
President Obama To Sign Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal This Morning
Marines aboard the USS Blue Ridge
President Obama is scheduled to sign a bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, at 9:15 a.m. ET today.
The bill, which was passed by the House last Wednesday and the Senate on Saturday, was certified by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday in a ceremony that was attended by hundreds of supporters, including gay servicemembers.
The new law will, eventually, end the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. The policy will be repealed 60 days after Obama, Defense Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen all certify that the military is ready for repeal. That won't happen until the military completes its implementation plan, which includes extensive training and education for all branches of the armed forces.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Mike Mullen, Robert Gates, Susan Collins
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Defense Secretary: It's Not Looking Good For DADT Repeal In 2010
Sec. of Defense Robert Gates
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Navy sailors serving in the Arabian Sea today that despite the push from him and other Pentagon leaders, the military's ban on gays serving openly is likely to continue into the next year.
From the AP report on Gates' visit to sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln:
Gates said that he was "not particularly optimistic" that Congress would overturn the policy soon, even though he wishes it would.PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Robert Gates
John McCain
McCain Spox: Senator 'Misspoke' When He Said Defense Secretary Never Served In Military
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
A spokesperson for Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says the preeminent veteran in the U.S. Senate "misspoke" yesterday when he said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates never served in the U.S. military.
McCain dismissed Gates' claim that repealing the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian service members would have little or no effect on military readiness in an interview with NBC News yesterday by suggesting that Gates doesn't really know what ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell will mean for fighters on the ground. McCain, who continues to be opposed to repealing DADT, stated that Gates was not an objective expert on the matter because he's "a political appointee who's never been in the military."
In truth, Gates served in the Air Force as a second lieutenant for two years starting in 1967. (That was the same year McCain, a Navy pilot, was injured in a fire aboard the aircraft carrier Forrestal in the coastal waters off Vietnam.)
McCain spokesperson Brooke Buchanan told TPM that McCain knows that Gates served in the armed forces and "simply misspoke" when asked about DADT by NBC News.
"Obviously Senator McCain is aware of Secretary Gates' many honorable years in service," Buchanan said in an email.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, John McCain, Robert Gates
Republicans
DADT No More? Republicans Threaten To Block All Dem Initiatives
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Just hours after Democrats and Republicans agreed to bargain on tax cuts, and fewer hours still after Defense Secretary Robert Gates implored Congress to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year, word leaked that Republicans aren't really interested in any of it -- a major repudiation of Gates' authority.
According to a letter delivered to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this morning, Republicans will block all debate on all legislation until the tax cut impasse is bridged and the federal government has been fully funded -- even if it means days tick by and the Senate misses its opportunity to pass DADT, an extension of unemployment insurance and other Dem items.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: DREAM Act, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Mitch McConnell, Republicans, Robert Gates, Senate Republicans, Unemployment
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
TSA Chief: Body Scan Boycott Would Be Mistake
The Associated Press reports: "With one of the year's busiest traveling days fast approaching, the Obama administration's top transportation security official on Monday urged passengers angry over safety procedures not to boycott airport body scans. John Pistole said in nationally broadcast interviews he understands public concerns about privacy in the wake of the Transportation Security Administration's tough new airline boarding security checks. But at the same time, he said a relatively small proportion of the 34 million people who have flown since the new procedures went into effect have had the body pat downs that have come under withering criticism in recent days."
Consensus Is Forming On What Steps To Take In Cutting The Deficit
The Washington Post reports: "After an election dominated by vague demands for less debt and smaller government, the sacrifices necessary to achieve those goals are coming into sharp focus. Big cuts at the Pentagon. Higher taxes, including those on home ownership and health care. Smaller Social Security checks and higher Medicare premiums. A debate is raging over the size and shape of those changes, particularly the wisdom of cutting Social Security benefits. But a surprisingly broad consensus is forming around the actions required to stabilize borrowing and ease fears of a European-style debt crisis in the United States."
Topics: Budget, Deficit, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Health Care, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
White House Considers Pre-Midterm Business Tax Breaks Package
The Washington Post reports: "With just two months until the November elections, the White House is seriously weighing a package of business tax breaks - potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars - to spur hiring and combat Republican charges that Democratic tax policies hurt small businesses, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations. Among the options under consideration are a temporary payroll-tax holiday and a permanent extension of the now-expired research-and-development tax credit, which rewards companies that conduct research into new technologies within the United States."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver a statement to the press at 10 a.m. ET, on the monthly jobs numbers. He will depart from the White House at 1:30 p.m. ET, en route to Camp David.
Topics: 2010 elections, Afghanistan, Arizona, Barack Obama, Immigration, Robert Gates, Roundup, Tax Cuts
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Israel, Palestinians Set For Face-To-Face Talk
Reuters reports: "With a diplomatic push from President Barack Obama, Israeli and Palestinian leaders start direct peace talks on Thursday overshadowed by skepticism on all sides and violence in the volatile West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet at the State Department, relaunching talks after a 20-month hiatus and seeking a deal within one year that will set up an independent Palestinian state side-by-side with a secure Israel."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with his national security team at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will receive the economic daily briefing at 1 p.m. ET. He does not have any public events scheduled for today.
Topics: 2010 elections, AK-SEN, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Christina Romer, Israel, Israel/Palestine, Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski, Mahmoud Abbas, Robert Gates, Roundup, Scott McAdams
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Report: Democrats Blindsided By Obama's Mosque Comments
The New York Daily News reports: "Democrats complain they were blindsided when President Obama weighed in on the Ground Zero mosque and handed the GOP a new club to beat them with. Capitol Hill Democrats, including those facing tough races, were not told in advance before Obama's Friday night speech defending Muslims' rights to build a mosque in lower Manhattan. While Mayor Bloomberg knew ahead of time what Obama intended to say at the Ramadan dinner at the White House, New York Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand were kept in the dark, sources said. So was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who dramatically broke with Obama on the mosque Monday."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from Los Angeles at 12 p.m. ET, arriving at Seattle King County International Airport at 2:15 p.m. ET. He will hold a round table discussion with small business owners at 2:40 p.m. ET, and deliver a statement to the press at 3:20 p.m. ET. He will deliver remarks at a fundraiser for Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) at 3:45 p.m. ET, and will speak at another fundraiser at 5:35 p.m. ET. He will depart from Seattle at 6:35 p.m. ET, and will arrive in Columbus, Ohio, at 10:20 p.m. ET.
Topics: 'Ground Zero Mosque', 2010 elections, BP, Barack Obama, Cuba, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Hillary Clinton, Oil Spill, Robert Gates, Roundup
pentagon
Robert Gates Says He'll Retire Next Year: 'Mistake' To Stick Around Until 2012
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is waxing poetic about historical tenure serving at the Pentagon, and told Foreign Policy magazine he will retire sometime next year.
"I think that it would be a mistake to wait until January 2012," Gates, who has served under both President Obama and former president George W. Bush, told Foreign Policy. "This is not the kind of job you want to fill in the spring of an election year."
Foreign Policy reports that Gates noted that if he lasts until January, he "will have been in the job longer than all but four of my predecessors." They are Robert McNamara, Don Rumsfeld, Cap Weinberger, and Charles E. Wilson.
Obama has lost several top economic officials this year, and it's not unusual for major transitions out of the administration in its third and fourth years, especially as the campaign heats up.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Robert Gates, pentagon
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama To Sign $600 Million Border Security Bill Friday
The Associated Press reports: "Determined to show a commitment to stopping the flow of illegal immigrants, the Senate convened a special session Thursday and passed a $600 million bill to put more agents and equipment along the Mexican border. The voice vote in the nearly empty Senate chamber sends the legislation to President Barack Obama, who planned to sign it into law on Friday. Obama had urged Congress to channel more money toward border security amid complaints from states besieged by undocumented immigrants and illegal drug trafficking."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and will meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 11 a.m. ET, he will sign the Southwest Border Security Bill. At 8:30 p.m. ET, he will host an Iftar dinner, celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Topics: 2010 elections, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, George W. Bush, Immigration, Jim DeMint, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Gates: WikiLeaks Docs Posting 'Puts Our Soldiers At Risk'
Appearing on This Week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates denounced the WikiLeaks posting of documents about Afghanistan: "Well, I'm not sure anger is the right word. I just -- I think mortified, appalled. And -- and if -- if I'm angry, it is -- it is because I believe that this information puts those in Afghanistan who have helped us at risk. It puts our soldiers at risk because they can learn a lot -- our adversaries can learn a lot about our techniques, tactics and procedures from the body of these leaked documents. And so I think that's what puts our soldiers at risk. And -- and then, as I say, our sources. And, you know, growing up in the intelligence business, protecting your sources is sacrosanct. And -- and there was no sense of responsibility or accountability associated with it."
Mullen 'Appalled' By WikiLeaks Docs
Appearing on Meet The Press, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen denounced the WikiLeaks posting of documents on the Afghanistan war: "There is an ability to put this kind of information together in the world that we're living in and the potential for costing us lives, I think, is significant. I said when it first occurred I was appalled. I remain appalled and that the potential for the loss of lives of American soldiers or coalition soldiers or Afghan citizens is clearly there."
Topics: 2010 elections, Afghanistan, Arizona, Birthright citizenship, Carl Levin, Immigration, Jan Brewer, Jon Kyl, Lindsey Graham, Mike Mullen, Nancy Pelosi, Robert Gates, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Sunday Shows, WikiLeaks
Sunday Shows
The Sunday Show Line-Ups
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:
• ABC, This Week: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
• CBS, Face The Nation: Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, Council On Foreign Relations president Richard Haass, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Mexican American Legal Defense And Education Fund president Thomas Saenz.
• CNN, State Of The Union: Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
• Fox News Sunday: Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH).
• NBC, Meet The Press: Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I), former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA).
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alan Greenspan, Carl Levin, Ed Rendell, John Boehner, Jon Kyl, Lindsey Graham, Mike Bloomberg, Mike Mullen, Mitch McConnell, Robert Gates, Sunday Shows
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Axelrod to Democrats: Blame the GOP
White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod told Senate Democrats to go on offense against the Republicans in this November's election. "We're not interested in re-litigating the past but we don't want to relive it either," Axelrod said after a closed-door strategy session. "People need to know that when they cast that Republican vote they're casting that vote for those same discredited policies that punished the middle class and created this crisis in the first place."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 9:30 a.m. ET, then will depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9:45 a.m. ET, arriving at 11:05 a.m. ET in Detroit, Michigan. He will tour the Chrysler auto plant at 11:50 a.m. ET, and will deliver remarks at 12:15 p.m. ET. He will then tour the General Motors auto plant at 12:55 p.m. ET, and deliver remarks at 1:40 p.m. ET. He will depart from Detroit at 3:10 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 4:25 p.m. ET, and at the White House at 4:40 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2010 elections, Afghanistan, Arizona, Auto Industry, Barack Obama, Budget, China, Deficit, Immigration, Robert Gates, Roundup, WikiLeaks
2010 elections
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Manchin To Name Byrd Senate Seat Appointee
Gov. Joe Manchin (D-WV) plans to announce today the appointment of an interim Senator to replace the late Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd. Manchin's potential choices reportedly include former state Democratic Party chairman Nick Casey, former Gov. Gaston Caperton and former general counsel Carte Goodwin. The new Senator is expected to serve only until a special election this November, in which Manchin is likely to run.
Obama's Day Ahead
The First Family will depart the White House at 9:45 a.m. ET, and depart at 10 a.m. ET from Andrews Air Force Base en route to Bar Harbor, Maine, arriving in Bar Harbor at 11:45 a.m. ET.
Topics: 2010 elections, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Budget, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Joe Manchin, Robert Gates, Roundup, Senate '10, WV-SEN
Robert Gates
Gates On Tighter Media Access Rules For Military: It's Not You, It's Us
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
At a press conference announcing his recommendation of Gen. Jim Mattis to lead U.S. Central Command today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates addressed the memo he recently issued regarding the military's interactions with the media.
The memo, issued last Friday, requires top level military personnel to notify the public affairs office before interviews "with possible national or international implications." It was issued in the wake of a Rolling Stone profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in which the general and his aides publicly trashed members of the Obama administration. McChrystal has since been relieved of his command.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Military, Robert Gates, Stanley McChrystal
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Obama: GOP Senators 'Using Their Power To Hold This Relief Hostage'
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama announced the funding of two solar energy companies by the Department of Energy, with nearly $2 billion. He also attacked Republican leaders for blocking his economic relief proposals.
"In the short term, we're fighting to speed up this recovery and keep the economy growing by all means possible. That means extending unemployment insurance for workers who lost their job. That means getting small businesses the loans they need to keep their doors open and hire new workers. And that means sending relief to states so they don't have to lay off thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers," said Obama. "Still, at a time when millions of Americans feel a deep sense of urgency in their own lives, Republican leaders in Washington just don't get it. While a majority of Senators support taking these steps to help the American people, some are playing the same old Washington games and using their power to hold this relief hostage - a move that only ends up holding back our recovery. It doesn't make sense."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, David Petraeus, Deficit, Gary Emineth, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, Liz Cheney, Michael Steele, RNC, Robert Gates, Roundup, Stanley McChrystal
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