Word: robert
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Those skills have made Gates perhaps the most powerful Defense Secretary since Robert McNamara ruled the roost in the Vietnam War era. But for the left, Gates is a disappointing compromise, a constant reminder of Obama's reluctance to fully repudiate Bush's conduct of the war on terrorism. "Gates is an agent of change within his own empire and not within the broader national-security construct. That is the risk Obama ran. He covered his flank but didn't get change," says a Defense policy adviser. White House staffers are no doubt uneasy about their dependency on this...
...what does Robert Gates stand for? Is he one of the great Secretaries of Defense, in the mold of Henry L. Stimson or his idol, George Marshall - not just steward of the building but also architect of American national-security policy? Or is he merely a first-rate apparatchik, a gifted infighter and faithful servant? In this Administration, Gates is the key broker on the question that haunts every U.S. President: how and when to wield military force. But in the last years of a long public career, that makes him the face of a war in Afghanistan that...
...July 2011, Gates went on the Sunday talk shows to say the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground. "The President didn't challenge him," Gelb says. "That tells you most of what you need to know about Gates' role and power in the Administration." (See pictures of Robert Gates in Afghanistan...
Gates considered that and said there was a lot of consistency in his strong support for surges both in Iraq and Afghanistan. His aide interrupted to clarify. "This goes back to the Cold War, sir." Gates thought for a moment. Even his chief of staff, Robert Rangel, the most influential unknown man in Washington, seemed curious to see what the boss would say. "If there's a consistency, it is my belief that the country is - I am very much an American exceptionalist" - he paused - "and I believe that we are, as a country, the greatest force for good...
...original version of this article incorrectly stated that in the last days of the Bush presidency Defense Secretary Robert Gates was planning to return to Texas. At the time, Gates was only making plans to leave the Pentagon...