the military industrial complex is not acknowledging their new c.i.c.

i have to say that, much as i love my president, i think the permanent powers that be are not accepting him as the man in charge. this comes as no surprise to me, but is a disappointment. i really thought he was savvy enough to push back and maybe even win. maybe in the long run he will.
i do think that he went in understanding that this part of the job was going to take a long time. that, imo, is why he kept gates. he wanted an insider to help back the beast into a corner. hopefully, he is just letting them play it out while he tend to other things, and building trust with them.
but jesus. please tell me that at some point he is going to go to the pentagon and start kicking ass and taking names.

and something about the way leon panetta is sticking up for the cia strikes me as creepy.

he could be in there making it the obama cia, and drawing a bright line separating themselves from the misdeeds of the bushies.

I think he's probably trying to pick up the pieces left by his recent predecessors, so he's probably decided that, at least for the moment, his role as Director outweighs his role as a member of the administration.

Annoying, I'll agree, but maybe not that surprising.

Pelosi went to the press and told them that the CIA lied to Congress but could not possibly have made a weaker case to prove it. Given how weak her case was, Panetta was absolutely right in sticking up for the agency.

especially while they're fighting two wars. At least not on every issue. I don't think anyone is having a problem accepting he is the one in charge.

If they did, you would be hearing anonymous quotes undermining some of the things he's done or is doing.

I think this is at the crux of whether we will have real change.

There's a lot of common ground.

He is also dismantling expensive exotic and unnecessary high tech systems.


He kept Gates because Gates hates DC, could care less for contractors and is committed to equiping real soldiers with what they really need.


Gates' interview on 60 minutes last Sunday was very revealing, IMHO.

for that little important bit of enlightenment.

.

yes, i agree he is willing to wield the knife.
thanks.