Gary Hart

Gary Hart has reemerged as a defense expert. He seems to be a sort of cautious hawk-- not a dove, but not in favor of war with Iraq right now.

Hart's reputation as a defense expert is based, in part, on his leadership of the "Military Reform" movement in the 1980s. The "reformers" dealt with serious issues, but they were often wrong when it came to specifics. They were opposed to the M-1 tank, the Bradley IFV, the F-15 fighter, and the big fleet carriers. They stressed quantity over quality, maneuver over firepower.

So, in retrospect, they were profoundly wrong. Our victories in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo depended on the qualitative edge that Gary Hart did not want the DoD to pursue. In Somalia, on the other hand, we came closer to the reformers's model and tried to rely on speed and disruption to win.

Has Hart ever discussed this? Has any reporter ever asked him about it?