if you took the Pentagon text you just quoted and put that side by side with comparable Clinton commentary on Iraq from three months ago, I wouldn't be able to tell which was which.

No wonder the Pentagon is pissed. They probably feel betrayed. lol

Wow...talk about wrapped up in a nice bow.  Is there anything the Clinton team would want more than a broadside from the Bush Pentagon?  It allows her to slam back and build up her anti-war cred all at the same time.

This will gain her huge props in the blogosphere.  If I was on her rapid response team, I'd be positively giddy getting that response out.  Howard Wolfson probably can't contain himself right now...

Here is the text of the letter Senator Clinton wrote to Sec. Gates and General Pace last May asking them to brief the appropriate Congressional Committees on contingency planning for a troop reduction in Iraq (emphasis added):

The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
The United States Department of Defense
The Pentagon
Suite 319
Washington, D.C. 20301

Dear Mr. Secretary:

Given the express will of the Congress to implement a phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq and the importance of proper contingency planning to achieve that goal, I write to request that you provide the appropriate oversight committees in Congress - including the Senate Armed Services Committee - with briefings on what current contingency plans exist for the future withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Alternatively, if no such plans exist, please provide an explanation for the decision not to engage in such planning.

The seeds of many problems that continue to plague our troops and mission in Iraq were planted in the failure to adequately plan for the conflict and properly equip our men and women in uniform. Congress must be sure that we are prepared to withdraw our forces without any unnecessary danger.

At a Department of Defense operational update which you hosted earlier this month, you were asked whether contingency plans were being developed in the event that a future assessment concludes the surge is not working. In response, you noted that efforts at the Department of Defense included detailed planning and consideration of operational alternatives, but that "it's more of just broader conceptual thinking." General Pace reiterated that the Joint Chiefs of Staff had not received orders to prepare contingency plans.

Yesterday, however, it was reported that your Iraqi counterpart, Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi is preparing plans in the event that the United States and its forces departed Iraq quickly, reviewing worst-case scenarios, and conducting meetings with Iraq's political leadership on this issue.

In light of growing violence and insecurity in Iraq, the continued lack of political progress by Prime Minister al-Maliki, the Iraqi Defense Ministry's level of contingency planning, and the will of the American Congress to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, it is imperative that the Department of Defense prepare plans for the phased redeployment of U.S. forces. As you well know, any military operation requires contingency planning so that the military and our troops are prepared if the current plan is unsuccessful. It would be irresponsible not to engage in similar planning in Iraq.

Thank you for looking into this matter. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

CC: General Peter Pace, USMC
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statement s/details.cfm?id=274922&&

I really don't think most of America realizes how politicized the Pentegon has become.  I think people still support our generals and anything "coming from the pentagon" - I do not think this is good for Hillary's GE efforts.

I'm not crazy about Hillary and I think her supporters are obnoxious.

But Bush's hacks in the Pentagon can go screw themselves.

If they weren't so incompetent, she wouldn't have to ask such questions.

I think this whole this is a setup....the Bush whitehousez love deflecting thier failures by batlling Hillary and the Clintons. It helps bring them back in the eyes of the base in thier party and to get hom from 30 to 40 in the polls for Hillary this is great for her attempt o basically become the "leader" of democrats and the stop the war crowd, well done guys, this is the general election camapign if Hillary is the nominee so we may as well start early. Any fuckups by Bush were the Clinton's fault, we can only hope Obama can break this cycle.

The more it's Clinton  v/sBush the better it is for both Republicans and Hillary, this has Rove and Penn's fingerprints all over it. Just like with the pardon's it's in Bush's interest too make everything about Hillary and the Clinton's and for Hillary it's a batting practice softball, brilliant.

This is going to be a problem for ANY Democratic president.  The Pentagon has for far too long set the agenda for defense and foreign policy.  They set Bill up right after he came into office on the Don't Ask Don't Tell and he never managed to gain control.  Saint Colin Powell made sure that there was no effective civilian control of the nutcases running the military and of course the Bushies put Dr. Strangelove in charge.  If we win in 2008 we need to make sure there are massive amounts of "retirements" or the nut jobs will continue to run amok.  The current push to increase army and marine troop levels is just insane.  This has got to stop.

with the my state suffered in 9/11 thing when questioned about her Iraq war vote, some dems stood up to this type of crap in 2002 and some didn't, I'm glad more are doing so now.

Drug czar deployed for GOP, papers show

Documents suggest a coordinated effort to help boost vulnerable candidates by using an official legally barred from political activities.

John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, attended 20 programs -- round-table discussions, tours, a town hall meeting and other antidrug events -- with Republican candidates from New Jersey to California.

I'm sure Czar Walters orchestrated bull sessions of deliberate deceptions with repeated attacks on cannabis, American values, such as good government, the care and happiness of the people, and not their destruction.

Perhaps ONDCP should be renamed the Office of Lies, Damned Lies, and Drug War Statistics (OLDLDWS). At least it would be more honest. Maybe that would be a better name for ONDCP's website.

I doubt that it was mentioned that the cannabis plant has been around for some 500 million years; that its cannabinoids (especially THC) fit human cannabinoid receptors in the brain like a key.

Nor was it probably mentioned that cannabis has played an instrumental role in human evolution over the past 10,000 years.

Neither was it likely mentioned that cannabis was used extensively in human healing, spiritual insight, providing clothing, shelter, weaponry, fuel for heating, oil for lighting and spiritual anointing and healing.

It's doubtful it was mentioned that government fears any knowledge about cannabis. So it refuses to let American universities grow, test and develop cannabis for its many uses.

Was it pointed out that Czar Walter's job is to suppress any knowledge pertaining to cannabis?

karl rove is a disease of unimaginable consequence to America.

democrats should be forewarned that the elections of 2008 are not going to be just democrats versus republicans, but also democrats verses THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

My predication is that democrats WILL NOT BE PREPARED FOR THIS, that democrats are studiously strategizing their campaigns around running against republicans without any forethought as to how to counter the workings of the Federal Government against them a.k.a., Kerry swiftboating part II Xtreme.
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