Gates need to be investigated for treason or at least a breach of National Security

[awake]

According to The Huffington Post In recalling a meeting in the situation room in March 2011, Gates writes: "As I sat there, I thought: The president doesn't trust his commander, can't stand (Afghan President Hamid) Karzai, doesn't believe in his own strategy and doesn't consider the war to be his. For him, it's all about getting out." I believe that discussing conversations or "thoughts" that took place in the situation room during a time of war while the U.S. is still engaged could be viewed as a breach of National Security and need to be investigated as to whether Gates broke his oath of office or any laws. The President need to hit back hard and the Democrats in the Senate need to open a investigation! No President should have to worry that their cabinet members will report what happens in the situation room while American Troops are in harms way.

We need to standup to this outrages act of "un-American activity" for too long Democrats have let the right wrap them self in the American flag as "Right Wingers" undercut the President in ways which under a Republican President they would never let stand.

[rdharma]

1. You mean Bob (Iran-Contra scandal) Gates is backstabbing the President?

I'm shocked! Simply shocked!

What a disgusting RW D-bag!

[awake]

2. Ya that RW D-bag

[yeoman6987]

27. Treason?

I don't see anything that could constitute treason in the story. However, what Gates has written is rude for sure to all involved.

[rdharma]

31. I didn't mention treason.

Last edited Thu Jan 9, 2014, 04:12 PM - Edit history (1)

I think you meant to reply to the OP.

But, I did mention Gates' back-stabbing "douche baggery".

[yeoman6987]

32. lol

You are right. I was replying to the OP. Your mention of Gates is PERFECT!

[bigdarryl]

3. Hate to say this but once again the President trusted another rethug

He should have got rid of Gates as soon as he was elected.In fact from what I'm hearing there are a lot of Bush left overs that were never replaced.The bottom line in this is NEVER TRUST A REPUBLICAN

[rdharma]

8. You and I saw this coming!

I guess the President was hoping the rethugs would "play nice" if he extended his hand. WRONG MOVE!

[cthulu2016]

4. Is this OP meant as a joke? I can't tell.

[awake]

5. Gates may be a joke but my post was not

I feel that too often Democrats act as wimps and are afraid to fight back the Sh*t from the right.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Next step

Memreaders, the real deal, not creations of my imagination.

Oh and classification of thoughts, personal thoughts.

[Skidmore]

7. I take Gates' salvo as heads up for an attempted resurgence of

the Neocons. We need to stand firm and the President needs to slap this rat down.

[msongs]

9. Gates thanks you in advance for promoting his kiss and tell book nt

[awake]

11. Oh that will work just put our heads in the sand

and hope no one will notice. Not! We need to speak up and call out this SH*T for what it is.

[former9thward]

10. Books written by former CIA and DoD Secretaries are vetted by those agencies beforehand.

It is one of the agreements that are signed when you are at that level. Those agencies did not feel there was any national security problems or the material would have been taken out.

[awake]

12. I may be wrong but I thought that Treason was giving ad and support to any enemy at a time of war

If Gates thought what he saw was wrong then he had the duty to share it with congress behind close doors not now in a tell all book.

[former9thward]

13. The U.S. Department of Justice does not view treason as you do.

Thankfully so. If they did every Iraq war protester would be arrested. Every Vietnam war protester would be arrested. None were arrested for treason. Jane Fonda went to North Vietnam and had her picture taken on an anti-aircraft gun used to shoot down U.S. aircraft. Do you think that gave some "aid and comfort" to the enemy? Yeah, it did but she was never charged with anything.

[awake]

15. I feel that there is a large difference between protesting the war and being the head of the DOD

who shares what went on in a National Security meeting with the President. A cabinet member has the duty to support his President or resign. We need to call out this lying D-Bag. While I think you are right that he will not be charged with Treason pointing out how once again a Repuk is adding and helping those who are in military conflict with American troops is important.

[NCTraveler]

14. Please reevaluate your thoughts on what......

treason and a breach of national security are. Thank you.

[awake]

16. If the shoe was on the other foot what do you think would happen

to a Democrate head of the DOD who served in a Republican administration if they wrote a tell all book dissing the President while U.S. troops were still in harms way.

[NCTraveler]

17. I read your op and can't figure out how you got to your position.

In any way. This isn't a tell all book. That is not a diss in any way when you are in the field of politics. I have no clue how you can read that and come to the conclusion of treason.

[awake]

18. I believe that if you are the head of the DOD you have a "duty"

not to share what happens in a national security meeting. Our President has publicly treated Mr Gates with respect and he has acted like the turn coat that he and many Right Wingers like him are.

[NCTraveler]

19. Not sure about that duty.

Obama clearly thinks there is not "duty". If he did, why the hell didn't he bring in his own guy. He stuck with the same person Bush had.
1)What details did he release that will hurt our national security as you keep saying?

2)"he has acted like the turn coat that he and many Right Wingers like him are." Many of us were well aware of Gates. The close relationship is between Gates and Obama. No one on this board would have kept Gates around.

[awake]

20. So are you saying it serves Obama right because he kept Gates on?

The point that I was making was that Democrats need to call out Gates for writing a "kiss and tell" book which included what transpired in a "national security" meeting while we are still engaged in talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai regarding our withdrawal of troops. Some here seem to be more interested finding fault with Obama than putting pressure on the "right wingers" for there hypocrisy.

[NCTraveler]

21. You keep calling him a right winger.

Which I agree with. So, why did Obama Choose him for his position. That is what Obama did by keeping him on.

Recap: We both agree Gates is a right winger. One of is surprised he isn't very fond of Obama. One of us decided Just now that it is time to call him out. I have news for you, that time has passed.

[awake]

22. Ah I see once again we need to blame Obama

I can not believe that Obama had any idea that a cabinet member would act this way, by writing a book called "Duty" while ignoring his own duty as a ex-head of the DOD to behave in a honorable manner. Now maybe many on this site will say that they knew along that this would happen, but the question is what will we do now, call out Gates or blame Obama for keeping him on. I for one will call out Gates.

[NCTraveler]

23. Obama didn't know a right winger would act like a right winger?

Gates was called out on this board years ago. Many years ago. It wasn't duers decision to keep a right winger on at his post. This is making less sense as we go on.

" but the question is what will we do now"

Most of us aren't surprised by this in any way. Many of us expected something like this. You see to be shocked.

[awake]

24. I am not shocked

I am not surprised that some on this site are content with a view that because they could see this coming nothing needs to be done, just let Gates say what he will, no need for Democrats to back our President, it was his fault for keeping Gates on therefor why should we do anything now.

No wonder we lose midterm elections with friends like us who needs teabaggers.

[NCTraveler]

25. With a president willing to keep a right winger in one of the most...

important posts in his administration, who does need teabaggers.

Let Gates sink. He is finally out of the administration. It took him leaving to make it so. We cannot control Gates. We need to get better control of the leaders of our own party who fully accept right wingers in their lives as if they are working in their best interests.

[elleng]

26. BS

Gen. Wesley Clark told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly Wednesday that President Obama’s doubts over his Afghanistan strategy as alleged in a new book by former Defense Secretary Robet Gates did not necessarily mean the president did not have faith in the troops or believed they would fail at their mission.

Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, said on “The Kelly File” that deciding to send American soldiers into battle is a “really tough call” for any president, and anyone would second-guess themselves under those circumstances.

“It does say he had doubts about the strategy, but maybe that was because that was the best of a lot of bad choices and I think that’s the problem you’re in when you get to the White House level,” Clark said. “If things were easy and if things could be agreed by everybody they’d be decided long before they got to ya.”

Clark said it is also important to note Gates is only offering his interpretations of what Obama was feeling.

“There’s a lot of tension and a lot of pressure,” Clark said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/08/retired-general-says-afghanistan-doubts-dont-mean-obama-didnt-believe-in-troops/?intcmp=latestnews

[gwheezie]

28. This is not news to me

I remember countless articles that Obama thought the generals pushed him and gave him bad advice during the decision making process leading to the surge in Afghanistan, I think most presidents learn that lesson about the generals. Truman fired one, JFK learned not to listen to them with the bay of pigs fiasco, LBJ should have stopped listening to them, Bush the lesser didn't listen to them with the Iraq war plan, remember when the original plan was for 300K troops? and Rummy convinced him not to listen to the generals. One of the most fearful sentences a president can say, imho is Ï'm going to listen to the generals" When I say this I in no way am denigrating the role of our military, but the generals are focused on military interventions, not policy and they have been around in leadership positions for decades, unlike a president who has most 8 years. I think they believe they are rock stars and entitled in someways. Most presidents have had to stand up to the generals at some point in their term.There's a reason we don't let the military run the country.
I remember the stories of division within the WH between the more hawkish interventionists the rice, hillary, gates side with the biden side to withdraw quickly.
I am surprised Gates released this book while we are still negotiating our withdrawal from Afghanistan, however it's a 600 page book and so far the same handful of paragraphs keep getting repeated on the news. I guess it will sell books. Other quotes that are barely mentioned has Gates making very positive statements about Obama.
The neocons are pathetic, what did they expect Obama to do without a sofa agreement, keep combat troops in Iraq without one?

[MNBrewer]

29. Look up the definition of Treason. It's in the Constitution.

Nope, this doesn't cut it.

[awake]

30. Ok if not treason then it could be viewed as a breach of National Security

I my mind a the head of the DOD needs to not discuss what transpires with in a National Security Meeting, especially while our troops are still in harms way.