Gates Inane Declaration

I just had to comment on the stupid statement by Robert Gates in his Senate Testimony today.

When asked if he believed we were winning in Iraq he flatly said "No" Has this guy got all his marbles. What exactly in his mind constitutes winning? Does he have any idea the effect such an imbecilic statement has on our coalition allies not to mention the troops.

The Democrats loved it, they've been doing everything possible to get the administration to admit this regardless of whether it's true or not and here this nitwit comes in and cavalierly gift wraps it for them. If he honestly feels this way he has absolutely no business as Defense Secretary.

The only measure that one could use to possibly conclude we are not winning is that we have not yet withdrawn. The violence is an internal Iraqi problem. Our job has been and remains to train and strenghthen the Iraqi police and military to be in a position to control the situation on their own. We ARE SUCCEEDING in this function hence we are winning. Whether it is happening fast enough is debatable, whether we are making steady positive progress is not.

Either Gates was lying to achieve easy confirmation or he was exhibiting doctrine in direct opposition to the Presidents declared beliefs. Let's hope it's the former.