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Gates Likely To Get A Grilling, An OK
Philadelphia Inquirer
November 22, 2006
Gates Likely To Get A Grilling, An OK
Senate Democrats have questions on Iraq, but many are saying they back
the Pentagon nominee.
By Anne Plummer Flaherty, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - When Robert M. Gates testifies before a Senate panel in two
weeks, Democrats will voice their opposition to administration war
policies and gauge Gates' willingness to change them. But they probably
won't stand in his way to becoming the next defense secretary.
Democrats have begun lining up behind Gates, indicating they are
inclined to vote for him if he meets two general criteria: He agrees a
new approach in Iraq is needed, and demonstrates he will hold sufficient
political clout at the White House.
"We really do have to get a strong signal that he has been given a free
hand to make whatever changes he thinks appropriate, and that within the
administration he will have unimpeded access to the president," Sen.
Jack Reed (D., R.I.) said in an interview yesterday. "Those things are
critical to success."
The senators say they are not immediately opposing Gates largely because
his confirmation would lead to the departure of Donald H. Rumsfeld, the
Pentagon chief who led the U.S. invasion in Iraq and staunchly defended
the war even as public approval plummeted.
The initial support of Bush's nominee comes even though Gates is the
same man once accused of distorting intelligence for political reasons -
a primary charge Democrats level against the Bush administration in the
war in Iraq.
In 1991, 31 Democrats voted against confirming Gates as CIA director,
citing allegations that he had pressured intelligence analysts to
develop conclusions that fit President Ronald Reagan's policies and
turned a blind eye to the Iran-contra scandal, in which arms were sold
to the Iranians and the cash used to supply the Nicaraguan contra
rebels.
Twelve of those Democrats who rejected Gates 15 years ago remain in the
Senate, including Carl Levin of Michigan, Joseph R. Biden Jr. of
Delaware, and John D. Rockefeller 4th of West Virginia.
But when Bush announced Gates' nomination Nov. 8, Democrats began
extending their support. Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, who will be
majority leader next year, and Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, who will head
the panel that oversees the Pentagon's budget, said they hoped Gates
would be swiftly confirmed, while Biden said he was inclined to vote for
him.
Reed and other Democrats say they will focus more of their attention on
Gates' views of Iraq than his dealings in the intelligence.
"I will be watching the upcoming confirmation process very carefully to
discern whether Mr. Gates has the capacity to both listen to and lead
our military in a new direction," said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D.,
Conn.).
Inouye, who with Sen. Ted Stevens met with Gates on Monday, said he had
known Gates for at least 30 years and that he would vote for him as he
did in 1991. He said he and Stevens (R., Alaska), top members of the
defense appropriations subcommittee, used the meeting to assure Gates he
would not play politics with military funding.
"I expect him to be confirmed," Inouye said.
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