A pair of Republican senators said Sunday that former Defense Secretary Robert Gates should’ve waited to publish his bombshell book that contains scathing critiques of President Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden and others within the administration.
“I think, frankly, I might’ve, if I had given him advice, I would’ve waited,” Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, echoed those thoughts and said the book could carry negative consequences for the U.S.
“I think it undermines the ability to conduct foreign policy,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
But Mr. Rubio also said the book has positive benefits.
“I don’t think we can ignore what’s in that book. For many of us, it confirms our worst fears, and that is that this is an administration full of people that either have the wrong convictions or, in the case of former Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton, lack the courage of their convictions.”
In his memoir, Mr. Gates says that both Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton admitted their opposition to the Iraq surge was driven by politics. He also blasts Mr. Biden, saying the vice president “has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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