With new book, Leon Panetta joins group of top cabinet officials turning their backs on Obama
What do you do when you disagree with your boss?
If you鈥檙e Leon Panetta and your boss was President Obama, you write a book about it.
鈥淲orthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace,鈥� by former CIA director and secretary of defense Panetta takes aim at President Obama for what Panetta characterizes as temerity, a lack of leadership, and serious missteps in foreign policy.聽
The book is the latest in a series of memoirs by former Obama cabinet officials that question the president鈥檚 decisions and his leadership, thereby creating an opening for Republican rivals ahead of midterm elections in November as well as a PR headache for the White House.聽
In his book, released聽Tuesday, Panetta said Obama 鈥渓ost his way鈥� on foreign policy and detailed a series of decisions in which he said he disagreed with the president.聽
Among Panetta鈥檚 complaints directed at the president: failing to enforce the 鈥渞ed line鈥� on chemical weapon use in Syria; rejecting advice to arm Syrian rebels and approving the full withdrawal of troops from Iraq in 2011, thereby enabling a power vacuum in Iraq that allowed ISIS to flourish; not going to Congress to seek approval for attacks on ISIS and ruling out deployment of American ground troops there.
Obama 鈥渁voids the battle, complains, and misses opportunities,鈥� Panetta said in his book.聽
As reported, Obama鈥檚 lack of effort to stop automatic budget cuts mandated by the sequester was the moment that crystallized Panetta鈥檚 frustration.
鈥淚ndeed, that episode highlighted what I regard as his most conspicuous weakness, a frustrating reticence to engage his opponents and rally support for his cause,鈥� Panetta wrote. 鈥淭hat is not a failing of ideas or of intellect. He does, however, sometimes lack fire. Too often, in my view, the president relies on the logic of a law professor rather than the passion of a leader."聽
Panetta鈥檚 harsh criticism, the latest in a handful of former cabinet officials to speak out against the president, has the White House on a defensive.
鈥淭he book, and the media blitz that accompanies it, becomes the latest headache for a White House that, like other second-term administrations, finds itself fending off friendly fire from veterans of the first,鈥� reports the .
The problem is even more pronounced as the midterm elections approach and Republicans ferret out fodder against their Democratic rivals by connecting them to the president.聽
Of course, 鈥淲orthy Fights鈥� is not the first book that鈥檚 criticized a sitting president.
Former defense secretary Robert Gates criticized Obama鈥檚 handling of Afghanistan in 鈥淒uty,鈥� former secretary of state Hilary Clinton faulted the president for rejecting advice on arming Syrian rebels in 鈥淗ard Choices,鈥� and former Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner disapproved of the president鈥檚 handling of the financial crisis in 鈥淪tress Test.鈥澛�
With 鈥淲orthy Fights,鈥� Panetta has joined the pack of top cabinet officials turning their back on Obama.
Reaction has been mixed.
鈥檚 Dana Milbank criticizes the cabinet officials, writing that 鈥渢his level of disloyalty is stunning"聽and says the 鈥渓ack of message discipline is puzzling.鈥�
The Post鈥檚 Ed Rogers disagrees.
鈥淭he explosive conclusions they all independently report about President Obama should not be seen as acts of disloyalty or selfishness.鈥� he writes. 鈥淢aybe we should look at their revelations not as selfish, disloyal acts, but as sincere warnings from patriots."聽
However Panetta鈥檚 book is received, his words provide the last glimpse of his dealings from within the White House.
Panetta has said he鈥檚 done with public office. As he told the Times, he is focusing now on his walnut farm.
鈥淚鈥檓 dealing with a different set of nuts,鈥� he said.
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
