Quote Originally Posted by Fox
Wallace: You've defended President Obama's handling of the situation this week. But in January you said you thought that President Obama made a big mistake when he set the red line for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Here's what you warned: "If you cock the pistol you've got to be willing to fire it." By "cocking the pistol”—whether it's on the red line in Syria or giving asylum to Edward Snowden—and then not firing it, you really don't think that President Obama has emboldened Putin at all? …
Gates: Putin invaded Georgia when George W. Bush was president. Nobody ever accused George W. Bush of being weak or unwilling to use military force. So I think Putin is very opportunistic in these arenas. I think that even if we had launched attacks in Syria, even if we weren't cutting our defense budget, I think Putin saw an opportunity here in Crimea, and he has seized it. …
Wallace: But just in terms of optics, do you think it's helpful for President Obama to take the weekend off in the middle of what you call a crisis to be playing golf in Florida?
Gates: Well, you know, I've seen this happen year after year, president after president. President takes a day or two off and plays golf. It doesn't matter whether it's President Obama, or the first President Bush going fishing. I think you've got to give these guys a little time off. You know, mostly they are working 20 hours a day.
Hmm.