So Bush fired Rumsfeld. Big deal. He should have done it 2800+ lives ago. Lest you think this election will somehow make Bush wiser, consider whom El Jefe Supremo Maximo picked to replace him: Bob Fucking Gates. Who is Bob Gates? Oh, that Bob Gates:
Robert M. Gates was the Central Intelligence Agency's deputy director for intelligence (DDI) from 1982 to 1986. He was confirmed as the CIA's deputy director of central intelligence (DDCI) in April of 1986 and became acting director of central intelligence in December of that same year. Owing to his senior status in the CIA, Gates was close to many figures who played significant roles in the Iran/contra affair and was in a position to have known of their activities.
Like many in the Reagan Administration, he came down with a tragic case of Iran-Contra induced memory loss. Kissinger. Abrams. Now Gates. These guys are like vampires: they just keep coming back. That's why we need to keep the pressure on, so all the Bush 43 idiots don't make a comeback. The gloating is fun, but there is a very important purpose: no one associated with this administration should ever be allowed near government again.
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Gates also comes with the reputation (from his days as DCI) as being thoroughly disliked by everyone who worked for him. The perfect replacement for Rummy!
When I think of Reagan-era CIA leadership, I think of their influence on Latin American death squads first and Iran/Contra second. Of course they are not unconnected...
I wonder what Daniel Ortega thinks of this nomination?
But for me the important questions seem to be:
(a) If the democrats try to stop this nomination, can they force Bush to nomination someone less reprehensible?
I doubt it, even though I'd like to see them block Gates.
(b) Can the democrats force other useful concessions over Rumsfeld's replacement?
(c) Are the democrats ready to counter the spin that any interference with the nomination of Gates is both hypocrisy and helping the terrorists win?
A) Considering that this is the Bush Administration, we could have done a lot worse, and,
B) Having witnessed Gates in action at Texas A&M, where he was an effective (and often progressive) president, I can say that he is a political moderate and someone who seems likely to be less prone to being beaten into line by the Bush Administration extremists.