The oddly named Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), which played such a noxious role in the Plame matter, hate Robert Gates. My friend Fedora emails:

Gates is one of VIPS' favorite targets. I expect to see Ray McGovern and/or Melvin Goodman write a pre—emptive hit piece soon. Tidbit on Goodman's relationship with Gates from my article on Goodfellow:

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Goodfellow's Bedfellows: Who's in Bed with the Washington Post [snip]

The CIP has also involved itself in the Iraq antiwar movement. Two of CIP's most vocal participants in this area have been Jim Mullins, a former Vietnam antiwar activist, and Melvin Goodman, a former CIA Soviet analyst who resigned in 1990 over the anti—Communist stance of William Casey and Robert Gates. [snip] Goodman, Melvin A. (writing as 'Melvin Goodman'). 'The Demise of the CIA'. The Baltimore Sun. August 31, 2005. Archived 

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. 'Goodman: U.S. Intelligence used for propaganda'. Topeka Capitol—Journal. January 5, 2004. Archived.

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'Iraq in Check'. The Baltimore Sun. February 8, 2003.

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(writing as 'Mel Goodman). 'The Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy'. Guerrilla News Network. February 19, 2004. Archived. 

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'Op—Ed: Restoring faith in Intelligence'. The Baltimore Sun. February 9, 2004.

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'Righting the CIA'. The Baltimore Sun. November 19, 2004.

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'Weapons Failure'. The Baltimore Sun. May 22, 2003.

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'What is to be Done with the CIA? A History of Flawed Intelligence' CounterPunch. July 19, 2003. 

McGovern, Ray. 'More at Stake in Bolton Nomination Than Meets the Eye'. truthout. April 25, 2005. 

United States Senate. 'Nomination of Robert M. Gates, of Virginia, To Be Director of Central Intelligence'. Congressional Record. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 5, 1991, S15901—S15949.

I consider the opposition of these moonbats to Gates as a major plus for him.

Clarice Feldman   11 9 06