Russ Feingold: “Our next Secretary of Defense will face unprecedented and wide-ranging challenges. Terrorist networks are developing new…”

“Our next Secretary of Defense will face unprecedented and wide-ranging challenges. Terrorist networks are developing new capabilities and sources of support around the world, the Taliban and al- Qaida are resurgent in Afghanistan, our military is over-stretched--all while the administration continues to devote so much of its resources to a self-defeating, Iraq-centric strategy. I am not convinced that the President's nominee for this position, Robert Gates, has the will or ability to fix our failed Iraq strategy. Once confirmed, Mr. Gates will answer to the President, and the President still fails to recognize the need for a new course--one that includes a flexible timetable to redeploy troops from Iraq and re-focus on the fight against terrorism. Until the President recognizes that his Iraq policy is undermining our national security, simply changing one advisor for another may not make that big a difference. Nonetheless, I will vote to confirm Mr. Gates. I believe that a president should be given great deference in selecting his cabinet. And Mr. Gates showed a refreshing candor and humility in his testimony this week--qualities that have been sorely lacking in this administration. He acknowledged that the United States is not ``winning'' in Iraq and that the status quo is not acceptable, and said that ``all options are on the table.'' There remain serious questions stemming from his role in Iran/Contra and charges that he politicized intelligence.…”