BACKGROUND: Excerpts of former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ memoir, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, led to partisan jockeying over the book’s content, especially his praise of Hillary Clinton.
FACTS:
- In his memoir, Gates wrote of Hillary Clinton that he “found her smart, idealistic but pragmatic, tough-minded, indefatigable, funny, a very valuable colleague, and a superb representative of the United States all over the world.”
- But the partisan gamesmanship of Washington has largely pushed Gates’ assessment of Hillary aside, instead focusing on a small and benign exchange Gates claims to have observed between President Obama and then Secretary Clinton.
- Gates believes he heard a conversation regarding the Iraq troop surge and that politics impacted how they talked about it in the campaign. As a result, partisan pundits have feigned shock and indignity that political rhetoric in a political campaign might be influenced by politics.
- The record is clear: as a Senator and a Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has always put our national security and our armed forces above politics. She has been an advocate for those who have worn the uniform and a voice for sound foreign policy and defense policy.
- As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was a leader in bringing one war to an end, Iraq, and planning for the end of another, Afghanistan. She was integral in the New START Treaty with Russia reducing nuclear missile launchers. She was key to negotiating a Gaza cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians, averting all-out war. She helped bring an end to the war in Iraq, restored and rebuilt America’s relationships and standing around the globe, and supported the successful attack on America’s worst terrorist enemy of our lifetimes.
- As a U.S. Senator, Hillary Clinton made veterans one of her main focuses. She introduced the Heroes at Home Act to help family members care for those with Traumatic Brain Injury. She also worked to pass legislation to increase the military survivor benefit from $12,000 to $100,000 as well as the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act, to extend benefits provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Hillary Clinton lives up to the high praise Gates offers her in his book, whether the partisan gamesmanship of Washington acknowledges it or not.