MSNBC's Hall suggested that Obama has not appointed a Republican to his Cabinet -- but Gates considers himself one
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SUMMARY: On MSNBC Live, discussing political diversity in President-elect Barack Obama's administration, Jonathan Allen said that Obama had chosen "Robert Gates as defense secretary, and that's something that I think [Obama's] people will point to." Tamron Hall responded, "Gates is not a registered Republican." Hall did not note that Gates himself has said, "I felt, when I was at CIA, that as a professional intelligence officer, like a military officer, I should be apolitical, and so I didn't register with a party. I consider myself a Republican," and noted that until his selection by Obama, "all of my senior appointments have been under Republican presidents."
On the December 16 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Tamron Hall suggested that even though President-elect Barack Obama had pledged to have a politically diverse administration, he had not yet named any Republicans to his Cabinet. After Congressional Quarterly reporter Jonathan Allen said that Obama had chosen "Robert Gates as defense secretary, and that's something that I think [Obama's] people will point to," Hall responded, "Gates is not a registered Republican." However, Hall did not mention that when Gates was asked to "clear up" the question of his party registration at a December 2 Pentagon press conference, he explained: "I felt, when I was at CIA, that as a professional intelligence officer, like a military officer, I should be apolitical, and so I didn't register with a party." He then stated, "I consider myself a Republican," and noted that until his selection by Obama, "all of my senior appointments have been under Republican presidents."
From the 4 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC Live on December 16:
HALL: And President-elect Barack Obama talked about that team of rivals from all different backgrounds. Well, does Obama need to pick any card-carrying Republicans for his administration?
[...]
HALL: Well, let me ask you about some of the other news today. President-elect Barack Obama took a lot of questions about the [Gov. Rod] Blagojevich [D-IL] mess, but he also took some questions about not having Republicans as nominees so far for his Cabinet. Here's what he had to say to a reporter who asked him about it.
OBAMA [video clip]: I'm not giving you a preview. We've got some more appointments to make, and I think that when you look at our entire White House staff and Cabinet and our various appointments, I think people will feel that we followed through on our commitment to make sure that this is not only a administration that is diverse ethnically, but it's also diverse politically and it's diverse in terms of people's life experience.
HALL: So, Jonathan, he made a commitment, but how does he make sure it doesn't come off as if he's looking for a couple of token Republicans?
ALLEN: I think it's getting harder and harder to do that because so many of the high-profile Cabinet picks have been made. I mean, he's down to the labor secretary and the transportation secretary, the U.S. trade representative. Obviously, he's got Robert Gates as defense secretary, and that's something that I think his people will point to when --
HALL: But he's not a registered Republican.
ALLEN: -- this process is over.
HALL: Gates is not a registered Republican.
ALLEN: Right. One of the things that President-elect Obama did not say is that he would have a diversity of partisanship. He said diversity -- diversity politically. And they certainly have a team of rivals. I mean, one secretary has called the other, or at least someone in her camp, called the other "Judas." And, I mean, there's a political diversity there --
HALL: Right.
ALLEN: -- but not necessarily partisan diversity. We'll see. He's got a few more picks to make, and he may make some appointments to White House jobs that don't currently exist.
I think you'll be surprised by Gates. Now, I do have ties to the military, so I can't claim to be a pacifist, so if that's closer to your stance, then yeah, you probably won't like him. But he's pretty smart and thoughtful about military matters, and far less likely to engage in the "let's attack now and worry about the consequences (which I'm sure will just be flowers and hugs) later!" mentality of the early Bush administration. He's argued with the administration about a bunch of stuff, and is very interesting in decreasing the military budget (not like anyone with sense is against that, but Palin used it as a talking point to knock Obama during the election, so its important to note that's a change from the current Repub line). Not to mention, he thinks the State Dept. needs a larger role and diplomacy needs to be on the forefront of all policy matters.
Give him a chance, he probably won't be there a full term anyway, but while he's there I think he'll do more good than harm. No matter what, he'll give Obama at least some cover to decrease the out of control military presence and spending.
hall= Hall.
We have talk radio hosts here in Boston who claim to have been life long Registered Democrats and yet, five seconds after they open their mouth, you realize they are no Democrats, lifelong or otherwise.
I see Tamron is still making up for having cut off a Repugnantcon at the knees a few days ago. Bad girl, Tamron! Bad girl!...
GATES: "I consider myself a Republican..."
Judging from past observations of talking heads with lack of knowledge of their subject matter it would not surprise me if Hall was unaware that Gates professes to be a Republican. Party registration is irrelevant. Sean Hannity professes not to be a Republican. When was the last time he did not support a Republican candidate? It sounds to me that, once again, we have a talking head who was unprepared to discuss the topic knowledgeably. A little research and homework go a long way.
Also Irony remember O'Reilly is an independent.
Well after the New York Daily News busted him for registering as a republican in New York, he did finally register as an independent.
If O'Reilly were here he would now tell you
Shut up! You had your 35 minutes. Shut up," . "We're supposed to be on here for 15 minutes and this idiot goes 35."
Must be a time warp!
All right now you know the plan.
Huh?
Right! You get the guards attention by urinating though the cell door and I'll knock him out when he comes in.
I guess if I'm not in orbit now, I'll never be, Mr. Time.
Right! Hold on the pad! Ignition! and lift off!
Can Bob and Mark Time make their childish trick work? Can Dr. Technical get out of the Asteroid Belt before two mighty rocket fleets launch their attacks there?
Who Knows! Who Cares! Tune in next firetime same fire station too MARK TIME!!!*
* Firesign Theater, Allrightsremoved.
Tell Barney Frank that O'Reilly is an independent.
Chris Dodd also.
In the words of GWB, "So what?". How many Democrats did GW Bush appoint, the man who said he was a "uniter, not a divider" when he ran for office the first time?
Actually I am a Registered Republican and all I expect from Obama is for him to CONTINUE to fill his cabinet with the same wonderful appoitee-types he has already chosen. It is my pleasure to have voted for Mr. Obama and for having done so after much prayer. I have great assurance that Obama is the right person to lead our country and he will have the big job of cleanimg up the mess my Party's President made for the last 8 years. I doubt no administration ahs inherited a more daunting mess than Obama recieves from the Bush administration. The Bush legacy is one of malfeasance, an outright illegal war, and the killing field he insisted on for the middle east. Most disgusting of all is Bush's glib statment about the war in Iraq, predicated on the country's supposed WMD stockpile. And Bush's "so what" is perhaps the most damning statement that Bush has ever said in his entire time in the Presidency. Bush-Cheney and their cabal have much blood on their hands from their handling of the middle east problems that even they admit now had no WMDs. Then also there is the administration's glib comment about the war. That comment was sickening to any law and order thinking person in the entire world. Besides a totally illegal war fought during his tenure, Bush leaves office with many, many deaths on his watch and having bankrupting both Iraq and the US. I wish Bush did have the ability to look himself in the mirror and admit to himself how shamful his behavior has been.
I always thought Bush was intellectually, emotionally and temperamentally unqualified to be President. I honestly think he envisioned being President as a cool job...deligating the heavy-thinking to others while enjoying the perks of the office. But then 9/11 happened and all hell broke loose. Two events early in his presidency I find revealing. First, six months into office Bush took a three week vacation to his stage-prop ranch in Crawford, Texas. I remember how that struck me at the time as a bad sign of his propensity for work. The next was the stunned look on his face, while reading My Pet Goat, when he was advised of the 9/11 attacks and how he sat frozen with indecision for several minutes. To me, those things said it all. The disastrous seven years that followed were predicatble. We just didn't know the details yet.
You hit the nail on the head on that one.
I always thought Bush was intellectually, emotionally and temperamentally unqualified to be President
A perfect summary of what turned out to be correct.
Well, at least he learned something from the "My Pet Goat" embarrassment.... did you see how fast he ducked that shoe?
Like Letterman said: Too bad he didn't have that quick reaction with Bin Laden, Hurricane Katrina, etc.
But he was good at ducking those issues.
So, for the record, once and for all, let's get it right:
GATES is a Republican, even though he's not officially registered as one.
LIEBERMAN is not a Democrat, even though he causcuses with them.
I'm getting sick and tired of MMFA having to correct these idiots when they get Lieberman wrong, let's not let them add Gates to the list! Sheesh.
There is a difference though, MMFA only targets Republicans and Republican media (except Matthews who they seem to hate, and Lieberman despite his liberal record on everything except the war)
I wonder how much slack they will give the media when discussing Gates now that he is on the Obama Team.
I am actually sick of the double standard in all of the media.
eddie,
Let me add one more for your list...
Colin Powell is a registered republican...but sides mostly with democrats.
Colin Powell is a registered republican...but sides mostly with democrats.
He did not side with Democrats when he went to the UN and lied about WMD.
Does that mean you don't want this liar under your party tent?
Pres.Obama doesn't seem to have any problem with letting him in...or maybe you should re-examine your belief in the new administration's policy of change.
Does that mean you don't want this liar under your party tent?
Since he is a Republican he is not in my party tent, if he wants to support President Elect Obama more power to him. He still needs to explain in more detail is role or lack of role in the pre war planning.
-- "He will have a role as one of my advisers," Barack Obama said on NBC's "Today" in an interview aired Monday, a day after Powell, a four-star general and President Bush's former secretary of state, endorsed him.-- CBS
J-Ly...You call Gen.Powell a liar, while Obama seeks his counsel. Maybe it's time to shuck all that anger and take a deep seet on the hope train.
J-Ly...You call Gen.Powell a liar, while Obama seeks his counsel. Maybe it's time to shuck all that anger and take a deep seet on the hope
Regarding WMD he did lie, he is still a facinating person and if the President Elect wants to take his counsel he should . It appeared Powell learned from his mistake by distancing himself from the warmongers like Rummmy and Cheney and to some extent Bushie.
I'm not picking at you J-Ly...I'm just curious what you find fascinating about Powell.
The war is obviously a hot button issue with you. You've branded Powell a liar concerning the war and WMD...yet you think he's fascinating...just wondering about that.
Aside from him endorsing Obama, and being a self-described moderate, when did he side with Democrats?
He's a military man through and through. He sides with his command. And that has been, repeatedly, Republicans.
Got to love it.
The MSM seem to follow the same rules the Freepers do, "Your not a Republican unless we say so. Because we know what you are actually thinking better than you do. We know in your heart of hearts you are a RINO"