Gates seeks to calm feud with Clinton

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that a top Pentagon official did not intend to impugn her patriotism by suggesting that her questions about U.S. planning in Iraq boosts enemy propaganda.

At the same time, Gates defended his aide and the author of the letter, Undersecretary for Policy Eric Edelman, calling him "a valued member" who provides "wise counsel and years of experience (that) are critically important to the many pressing policy issues facing the military."

The letter also contains the most explicit admission to date that the Pentagon is in fact planning for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces, with Gates telling Clinton: "You may rest assured that such planning is indeed taking place with my active involvement."

In the three-page missive obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, Gates sought to calm a politically stoked exchange between the Pentagon and the Democratic presidential front-runner over planning for the withdrawal of U.S forces from Iraq.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070726/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_iraq

[Gman]

1. Edelman walked right into this and handed Hillary a plum

of an issue. She won't stop with it and Gates has probably been slapped hard by Rove.

I hope she keeps it up in spite of the letter.

[Doctor_J]

2. Dear Bob - Take a hike

you and all the psychopaths in the GOP have been questioning our patriotism for 6 years. Finally someone is fighting back, so you can go suck an egg.