Jack of All Trades

In a stunning revelation on this morning's TV program "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, Robert Gates, our former Secretary of Defense under both Bush '43 and our current president revealed that, at one of his large staff meetings, Obummer bragged that he could do everyone's job in the room better than they could. Wow! Double wow! This kind of selfie-stick monster ego ... colored by delusion has got to be a first for any president (except maybe Slick Willie).

If this were truly what had been said, then our regal leader has done one of two things ... either surrounded himself with doofuses ... or been ego-massaged to the point of the vainest of vainglory. My guess is that it is a little bit of both. If I could have but one wish that was sure to come true, I would love that this bigger-than-life man-child would be able to read what historians have to say about him in about fifty years. I kinda doubt that they might view him the same way he sees himself today ... in front of his preening, self-loving mirror.

(Perhaps jack-off of all trades?)

Pearly Gates

I have had mixed feeling about Obama’s former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates … see: Swinging Gates.  However now that Gates has unloaded on President Obama, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and VP, Joe Biden, Gates has suddenly risen in my estimation.  (“The enemy of your enemy is your friend.”)

Now Gates has written a soon-to-be-published book, portions of which have been leaked to Bob Woodward in the Washington Post ... and it does not sugar-coat his feelings toward these three administration hacks.  Viz: Obama is two-faced, a very poor manager, and willing to sacrifice American lives in Afghanistan to no real purpose.  Biden is anti-military and has been, over the years, consistently wrong on all foreign policy issues.  And Hillary Clinton’s motivating factor has been how something might play politically … independent of the true merits of each situation.

Gates even takes a deserved dump on Congress. 

When this book, “Duty.” comes out next week,  I look forward to more of such relishing revelations.  However, I do think that Bob's Gates and Woodward will receive even fewer invites to inside-Washington social elbow-rubbings than they are getting today ... but they should get a gold star on St. Peter's ledger.

Afterward: See also: Wall Street Journal Article.

All Hat and No Cattle

There is a Texas put-down that describes Chuck Hagel perfectly, “All hat and no cattle.”  And after his fumbling performance in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday (see: Free Beacon Quotes),  I am even questioning the “hat” piece.  He was attempting to answer queries leading up to his confirmation as Obama’s new Secretary of Defense ... in which he flubbed just about every opportunity to display some intelligence and preparation.  His responses on Iran and Israel were particularly inept where he was unable to walk back his extreme positions and still maintain a shred of credibility and character … see Politico Story.

Why would such a buffoon be nominated to serve in such a critical position at such a critical time?  I think it is because his previously expressed attitudes on containing Iran (allowing it to become a nuclear power) and his animosity toward Israel, both are perfectly congruent with President Obama’s.  (And also were in agreement with Hillary Clinton’s attitudes on these two issues ... but, even with her leaving, John Kerry is so pliant, that I’m sure he will easily morph into her ideology.)  Chuck Hagel is an extreme expression of the Peter Principle ... rising to his level of his incompetence. He can’t manage his way out of a paper bag.   If confirmed, he will be [mis]leading our defense establishment during a period of drastic retrenchment and metaphysical challenges.  This would be the equivalent of making Gomer Pyle the head of the WW-2 D-Day  invasion.

I thought that, with Obama’s re-election, this country might be in for a difficult four years.  But now with his picks for Secretary of State, Defense Secretary, and Treasury Secretary (Jack Lew), I am sure of it.