Yesterday, in light of Rahm Emanuel’s comments on delaying the decision on troops for Afghanistan, I asked:
“Are Sunday talk show declarations by Emanuel and political advisor
[sic] David Axelrod an appropriate way to announce the considered judgment of
the president at this stage of a long Cabinet-level review process? Or
is Emanuel end-running the process? Do Secretaries Gates and Clinton
agree with Emanuel? Were they consulted before Rahm popped off?”
I’ve now been told by an authoritative source close to Defense
Secretary Robert Gates that he had no advance warning that Emanuel
would be saying any such thing.
Update: A former government official e-mails:
Sen. McCain and other supporters of the effort in Afghanistan have
feared from the beginning of this process that Whie [sic] House politicos
were trying to get the pesky military out of the policy loop. Now it
appears they are bypassing even the SecDef ... [ Bill Kristol cont]
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