Senior Fellow, Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Retired Army brigadier general, his last assignment was as Deputy Director for Army Strategy, Plans and Policy at the Pentagon; Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government
Robert Gates and Increasing the Size of the Army In what was likely his last news conference of 2006 , President Bush said today, "We're not winning" in Iraq but "we're not losing," and eventually "we're going to win." While the President has not decided if that will require a "surge" of troops in the short run, he does want to increase the overall size of the Army and the Marines. The cost--and the politics--of building ground forces, comprised a major plank in John Kerry 's Presidential platform two years ago. Meantime, fresh from his swearing in as Donald Rumsfeld's replacement, Defense Secretary Robert Gates already is on the ground in Iraq, talking to reporters about the possibilities of a short term "surge" and a long term increase in America's ground forces.
To 'Surge' or Not to 'Surge' in Iraq Today's Washington Post is the latest news outlet to report disagreement between the Pentagon and the White House. The paper says the White House wants 15,000 to 30,000 more troops for a last-ditch "surge" to rescue Iraq from total chaos. It says the Joint Chiefs of Staff are unanimously opposed, despite Army leaders warning that their active forces are already at the breaking point All this as the new Defense Secretary, Robert Gates , plans a trip to Iraq and President Bush says he'll announce a new strategy early next year. We debate military realities in the short term and the foreseeable future.
Inside the company helping LA County change its elections Big changes are coming to L.A. County elections starting in the year 2020. You’ll see 11 days of voting, not just one, ballots on high-tech touch screen terminals instead of paper and all new election software. Los Angeles County isn’t making the changes by itself. It has a partner in the effort, a private company that’s headquartered abroad and was once the focus of federal investigators. Is it a company that voters can trust with improving its elections?
Left, Right & Center Live: Decisions, Decisions A special live broadcast of Left, Right & Center from INFORUM at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco
Can LA County fix its voting issues before November? Election Day is less than five weeks away. Maybe voting will go off without a hitch. But over the past 10 years, elections in Los Angeles County have been marred by problems that have led to a lot of voter confusion at the polls. In the first of a two part series, KCRW’s Saul Gonzalez looks at recent breakdowns in L.A. County’s elections, and how election officials plan to solve them with a massive election modernization program.
LA Renters Fight Back The housing crisis is so bad that some landlords are boosting rents without making fixes to big problems, like mold and infestation. Now, some Angelenos are taking a labor union approach and organizing renter strikes. We go to Westlake and Highland Park with LA Taco editor Daniel Hernandez. The housing crisis is so bad that some landlords are boosting rents without making fixes to big problems, like mold and infestation. Now, some Angelenos are taking a labor union approach and organizing renter strikes. We go to Westlake and Highland Park with LA Taco editor Daniel Hernandez.