Obama may Keep Gates as Defence Secretary

[iman]

One of Obama's biggest vulnerabilities is the fear that he may abandon Iraq. Apparently, as Samantha Power had previously suggested, that fear is unfounded and Obama will not radically change Iraq War policy.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4232070.ece

Top policy advisors to Obama are urging that Robert Gates be retained as Secretary of Defence.

 

[Zingerific]

I don't know much about Gates' performance thus far, but he was brought in as the anti-Rumsfeld, so that gives him a plus in my book.

In recent history, SecDef has been an area where Presidents have crossed party lines; Clinton appointed Maine Republican Cohen to the post.

 

[EvilForce]

One of Obama's biggest vulnerabilities is the fear that he may abandon Iraq. Apparently, as Samantha Power had previously suggested, that fear is unfounded and Obama will not radically change Iraq War policy.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4232070.ece

Top policy advisors to Obama are urging that Robert Gates be retained as Secretary of Defence.

Nothing like a "trial balloon" in the heat of a campaign eh?

 

[JayHawk]

They have to cross the lines if it is a democrat. Seein as Democrats dont know their ass from a hole in the ground in matters of defense. Look at Obama's Senior military advisor suggesting that being in a prison camp isnt getting tested. I bet the lot of them couldn't take five minutes at our military SERE school to train our soldiers for the reality of being a POW. Not five minutes.

 

[Yngbldhwk]

Mazda3boi: No, Obama's advisor probably couldn't withstand that kind of treatment... but that's not the point. He's an advisor, not a soldier.

Harold Brown was defense secretary under Carter and he was a former Air Force Secretary. McNamara served in WWII as an Army Captain. Being a dem does not necessarily preclude anyone from the position of Defense Secretary. It would be just as incorrect to say that a Republican could never be secretary of HHS.

 

[smelter]

From what I've seen and read about Gates, he seems to be non-political in his approach to the job of Defense Secretary. I wouldn't object to having him stay in the job.

 

[smelter]

^ Gates was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 95-2. The two votes cast against him were Republican Senators Rick 'homophobe' Santorum and Jim 'nutcase' Bunning, so he can't be all bad!

 

[smelter]

Yeah, cuz the Senate only votes for good, competent people.

LOL, point taken!