Oh! Pity poor Robert Gates! He left his cushy position at Texas A&M--a job he loved, he says--and is making "great financial sacrifices" to take a gig as Secretary of Defense, simply because he loves his country so darned much.
Naturally, he was easily confirmed by the senate panel questioning him, and will no doubt win an easy confirmation from the full senate. Poor guy, he'll probably have to eat ramen noodles and shop at Wal-Mart for his whole time in Washington, what with his financial sacrifices and all. But boy, what a guy.
I mean, sure his old gig at the CIA required Gates to be a master liar and manipulator. And granted, his role in Iran-contra should make even the dimmest senator question his every word. And okay, Bush has a history of sending nominees to the senate who answer questions with the most sweeping generalities possible, then, once confirmed, speak only in chilling specifics. And yeah, the Democrats fall for it EVERY SINGLE TIME. But I'm sure this is different.
After all, Gates has the advantage of not being Donald Rumsfeld. Apparently, that's enough--Bush has managed to set the bar so low, his nomination of yet another one of his poppy's right-wing cronies sounds no alarms for Democrats, who are just grateful for someone who can at least pretend to be humble. The fact that Gates will almost certainly tow the Bushinista's line--"There is still only one President of the United States. He will make the final decision."--troubles them not at all.
Let me say it again: We're hosed.
