Old cold warrior understands diplomacy

How refreshing to have a U.S. secretary of defense with diplomatic skills. On Sunday Wichita native Roberts Gates gently defused and dismissed harsh criticisms made the day before by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a speech Saturday to an international security conference in Munich, Putin said that the “United States has overstepped its national borders, and in every area.” Gates responded: “As an old cold warrior, one of yesterday’s speeches almost filled me with nostalgia for a less complex time. Almost.” Gates also poked fun at a gaffe made by his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, saying that “I am told that some have even spoken in terms of ‘Old Europe’ versus ‘new.’” Gates understands that America’s security depends on cooperation and alliances with other countries.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

4 Comments

  1. CapnAmerica
    Posted February 12, 2007 at 12:54 pm | Permalink

    You mean despite being a hard right-wing ideologue, he’s NOT a total idiot like the rest of them.

    Yeah. I guess that is some improvement.

  2. rm6046
    Posted February 12, 2007 at 1:15 pm | Permalink

    Capn: Bobby should be President … he’s just way too damned smart to want the job.

  3. RD
    Posted February 12, 2007 at 3:09 pm | Permalink

    As long as Gates will practice what he preaches, I’ll accept him. But if he says one thing, then does another… Hell hath no fury, and all that. :)

  4. ken
    Posted February 13, 2007 at 6:08 am | Permalink

    Gates body language during his refuting Putin’s statements, indicates he was either lying or hedging his bet. He rarely looked up from his prepared text – when presenting the administrations denial of a plan to invade Iran — and he made no eye contact with members of the audience — and his statements were vague enough that downstream they will be able to say “.. we didn’t say exactly that ..”

    He’s a Bush lackey — feeding at the through ….