Hillary SoS official: 10:40 am EST; HRC and Gates
UPDATE 2: Excellent piece here by Politico, on HRC and Gates’ views based on an exchange b/w the two in 2006 confirmation hearings for Gates, a MUST READ..
Clinton: “Let me ask you, Dr. Gates, that in an oral history of the ’92 Gulf War produced by the PBS program ‘Frontline,’ you made some very definite points about how the military often overstates or even in your words, “’exaggerate the level of forces required to accomplish a specific objective.’ I’m concerned that’s precisely the attitude that we’ve heard from Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld, former Deputy Secretary [Paul] Wolfowitz and others with regard to former Army Chief of Staff] Gen. [Eric] Shinseki’s recommendation and many in the uniformed military and civilian experts, who have consistently beat the drum that we don’t have enough troops, we never had enough troops.
“So therefore, how will you take that set of recommendations from your uniformed military on board and figure out how you’re going to assess it, given your previously stated position that it’s often exaggerated when we look at missions to accomplish?”
Gates: “Senator, that statement was made in the context of the bureaucratic wars in Washington then and the decision making process or the process of considering contingency planning in the Situation Room. I would tell you that CIA also in those same meetings often would describe very pessimistically the prospects for covert actions that were being considered by an administration.
“And frankly, it’s my experience that both the military and CIA take that kind of approach because sometimes they hear … some awfully strange ideas in the Situation Room sometimes from members of the National Security Council staff. It was always my experience that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, it was the State Department that most often wanted to use force; and the Department of Defense that most often wanted to use diplomacy; and CIA never wanted to use covert action. Everyone wanted everybody else to do — to take the actions.
“I think that when the actual decisions came, though, the military — the recommendations of the military were taken very seriously. And I remember when President Bush, the first President Bush was asking about the offensive strategy once we had 200,000 troops in Saudi Arabia, and we were at a meeting in the Situation Room in the fall of 1990. And the military came in and briefed on what they felt they needed to eject Saddam and the Republican Guard from Iraq – from Kuwait. And they went through a long list of things — moving the 7th Corps to the Middle East, six carrier battle groups, activating the Guard and Reserve. And I’ll never forget, the president stood up and said “You’ve got it. Let me know if you need more.”
“And I think that that kind of deference, when you get past the debate about what the policy should be, the great deference should be extended to the professionals who are going to have to carry out the action. And I think President Bush did that, first President Bush did that in the Gulf War, and that certainly would be my instinct if I’m confirmed as secretary of defense.”
Clinton: “That would certainly be welcome.”
UPDATE: TalkLeft has the scoop via Politico, Hillary is flying to Chicago to be at the presser announcing her appointment :0)
It’s finally official: President-elect Obama will appear with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in Chicago on Monday as he names her secretary of state,…
The news conference at a Chicago hotel is scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m. Eastern.Also attending will be Robert M. Gates, President Bush’s Defense Secretary, who will remain at the Pentagon. Clinton and Gates are part of a national security team stocked with some of the best-known names in government. The officials said that Obama is also naming Eric H. Holder Jr., the former number-two-official at the Justice Department, as attorney general; Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security; Susan E. Rice, the Obama campaign’s senior foreign policy adviser, as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser.
Obama was to be joined by the New York senator at a Chicago news conference Monday, Democratic officials said, where he also planned to announce that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would remain in his job for a year or more and that retired Marine General James M. Jones would serve as national security adviser.
The officials requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for the transition team.
The Big Dawg has agreed to limit all his future CGI donations from foreign governments as well as running his appearances and speeches through the incoming Administration and/or Justice Department to avoid any possible conflicts in the future.
Thank you Big Dawg!!
I cannot wait to salute Madame Secretary! Booyah!
To make it possible for his wife to become the top U.S. diplomat, the officials said, former President Clinton agreed:
_to disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997 and all contributors going forward.
_to refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference.
_to cease holding CGI meetings overseas.
_to volunteer to step away from day-to-day management of the foundation while his wife is secretary of state.
_to submit his speaking schedule to review by the State Department and White House counsel.
_to submit any new sources of income to a similar ethical review.
Bill Clinton’s business deals and global charitable endeavors had been expected to create problems for the former first lady’s nomination. But in negotiations with the Obama transition team, the former president agreed to several measures designed to bring transparency to those activities.
Dick Lugar and Jack Reed just put their stamp of approval on via an appearance on George Snuggleupagus, Lugar even using the phrase ‘team of rivals’. (Lugar has been an Obama campaign worker in all but salary since day 1.)
…Advisers said Obama had for several months envisioned Clinton as his top diplomat, and he invited her to Chicago to discuss the job just a week after the Nov. 4 election. The two met privately Nov. 13 in Obama’s transition office in downtown Chicago.
Clinton was said to be interested and then to waver, concerned about relinquishing her Senate seat and the political independence it conferred. Those concerns were largely resolved after Obama assured her she would be able to choose a staff and have direct access to him, advisers said.
Remaining in the Senate also may not have been an attractive choice for Clinton. Despite her political celebrity, she is a relatively junior senator without prospects for a leadership position or committee chairmanship anytime soon…
APs Beth Fouhy got the scoop, I’m sure Nedra Pickler will get the next one……
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ginaswo
memorye1 replied:
Well I don’t like it that Hillary will be working for Obama. I also think the gov. is spying too much on Big Dawg. But I also realize we all can not agree on every issue. I can not believe Big Dawg is giving him this much power over him. But I am just a speck in the sand.
November 30, 2008 at 9:15 am. Permalink.
Clinton On Best Political Blogs » Blog Archive » Hillary SoS appointment to be announced tomorrow!! replied:
[...] Hillary SoS appointment to be announced tomorrow!! [...]
November 30, 2008 at 9:20 am. Permalink.
nancy replied:
hussien needs Hillary to answer his 3 AM calls after all!
November 30, 2008 at 10:32 am. Permalink.
ginaswo replied:
memorye, yes but consider, with all these hoops Big Dawg is jumping thru, Obama will NOT be forcing Hill out anytime soon, it would look ridiculous after all these ‘preconditions’ :0)(that nicely scuttles the BS rumor he will ‘fire’ her or some crap-and BTW she gets her SEN seat back if that were to happen within a year IIRC)
and beyond any other single person, I trust Hillary to do all she can to protect us and help people all over the world (especially women and children who too often have no voice at all)..AND Hillary would NEVER do a Powell, Hillary would resign before she betrayed US or Israel
a win/win/win IMO
November 30, 2008 at 10:50 am. Permalink.
ginaswo replied:
oops forgot the past part of my win/win/win is I get to watch CDS filled pundit blogger and even some anti Obama heads explode, and I love that, schadenfruade at last just not how I was expecting it!
November 30, 2008 at 10:51 am. Permalink.
memorye1 replied:
Now the only one will be jumping hoops will be Hillary. Obama said the buck stop with him. We all know that to get as high as Hillary , Bill, and Obama you have to be a crook. So Obama holds this over there heads. Obama head is so big no one could hold anything on him. [ YET ] The only difference is Bill and Hillary had a little more concern for the American people. I believe now bill and Hillary only is concerned with their own interest. I have been reading watching elections for years. This has been the biggest joke of all.
December 1, 2008 at 3:08 pm. Permalink.
ginaswo replied:
sorry you feel that way mem. I think it is the way Big Dawgs stmt described it, she answered the call to serve once again as she has for all the 37 years he has known her. She was clearly torn and could have had a lifetime seat in NY while Big Dawg earned money speaking to whomever he pleased and releasing nothing, They have both made sacrifices again for us and will continue to do so all the time she serves as SoS. I am glad for her and for Big Dawgs service.
December 1, 2008 at 6:05 pm. Permalink.
memorye1 replied:
It’s Not Hillary
“It’s the Policy Stupid!”
The media obsession over who’s in and who’s out of consideration for the Obama Cabinet brings the admonition on the famous “War Room” wall of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign to mind: “It’s the Economy Stupid!” Those of us eagerly awaiting relief from the debacle called the Bush administration should avoid getting swept up the in DC parlor game of who is getting what position in the new administration and focus instead on the fundamental changes we need the Obama administration to start making. In short, “It’s the Policy Stupid!”
President Obama will begin his presidency with enormous good will from the American people and great hope from the world at large. It is imperative that he seize this opportunity by quickly moving his campaign pledges into bold and decisive action despite the opposition that surely awaits him.
Step one: End the US military occupation of Iraq. Immediately begin withdrawing US combat forces within sixteen months, clearly delineating the number and role of any remaining troops to limited non-combat roles such as providing security to the US embassy and training Iraqi security forces. Even before taking office, President-elect Obama’s message of change has made a security pact with Iraq much more likely by assuring Iraqis that the United States will respect their sovereignty and pull our forces out. It has weakened Iranian opposition by increasing their confidence that the US will not be occupying permanent military bases on their neighbor’s soil as a staging ground for attack
Step two: Change course in Afghanistan. Responding to the Bush administration’s failure in Afghanistan by initiating an escalation of US combat troops could be the next step into a quagmire that would be a catastrophe for the United States, Obama’s presidency, and the region. Changing course should include support for the Afghan government’s outreach to insurgent forces, including elements of the Taliban willing to negotiate an end to armed conflict; a robust diplomatic effort that reaches out to key regional nations, including Iran and Pakistan; and a serious and sustained commitment of humanitarian aid and development assistance that can bring relief and hope to the beleaguered people of Afghanistan. Continued military commitment should be limited and predicated on a clear exit strategy that is linked to this comprehensive approach.
Step three: Engage Iran. President Obama should declare that seeking regime change in Iran is no longer the policy of the U.S. and initiate diplomatic contacts with the Iranian government immediately without preconditions.
Step four: Make a just and lasting peace in the Middle East a top priority by seriously arbitrating a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and capitalizing on the common interests of states in the region to prevent an implosion of Iraq and to establish stability.
Step five: Replenish the strength of our weakened military by cutting the number of troops that are put into harms way and striking unnecessary and obsolete military weapons from the defense budget. President Obama should reject calls for an increase in military spending and combat forces. Troop levels should be set not by reacting to the demands of militarizing our foreign policy under George W. Bush, but by the requirements of a new national security strategy. Additional levels of combat troops will be necessary only if the United States intends to launch yet more counter-insurgency campaigns by invasions and military occupations. The alternative is a national security policy that buries the “Bush Doctrine,” respects international law, and restores America’s place in the world as a source of inspiration and hope, not outrage and fear.
None of these steps will be easy. Hawks will echo Senator McCain’s attacks during the presidential campaign that President Obama will be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by changing course in Iraq. They will clamor for more troops in Afghanistan without any semblance of an exit strategy while rejecting meaningful diplomatic engagement with key regional players like Iran. And, they will relentlessly pressure Members of Congress from both parties to continue the gravy train of wasteful defense spending on obsolete and unnecessary weapons and equipment. President Obama and Members of Congress need to demand that, from now on, defense spending will be based on the national security interests of our nation and no longer on the political self-interest of politicians and the insatiable appetite of defense contractors.
Undoing the incalculable damage done by the Bush administration will require a fundamental reassessment of how to achieve genuine national security and setting a profoundly different course for national defense and foreign policy. The election of Barack Obama opens an extraordinary opportunity for our nation and the world. The stakes are too high to squander it.
This was sent to me…
December 1, 2008 at 10:30 pm. Permalink.
memorye1 replied:
Gina,
What do you think of this…This is the reason I did not want Hillary to take the SOS
http://www2.mcdowellnews.com/content/2008/dec/02/britt-combs-obama-sidelining-hillary/
December 2, 2008 at 7:39 pm. Permalink.