Seeing the Softer (Funnier) Side of Secretary Gates

Photo from Chicago Tribune

Time names him the Secretary of Hilarity, it's a great rundown and a lot of the tidbits will make you laugh (via EK).

This is one of my favorites...

"The first fall I was at Texas A&M and we changed the football coach, I told the press that I had overthrown the governments of medium-sized countries with less controversy."— Nov. 26, 2007, before the Killeen, Texas, chamber of commerce

Incidentally, I like Bob Gates and I think he's done a commendable job at Defense. Granted he was following up a complete disgrace so the bar hasn't been set very high but I think he handled Walter Reed and the loose nuke incidents well (shit-can the highest up person with responsibility and then clean things up) and his desire to close the prison camp at Guantanamo is definitely good. The bottom line is that I think he's made people more accountable and that I think keeping him on to oversee the draw-down in Iraq and probable shifting of resources and troops to Afghanistan is a good call.