Gates To Stay On As Defense Secretary

President-Elect Barack Obama is looking to extend his Cabinet from a Team of Rivals to a bi-partisan team as well. Roberts Gates will remain as Defense Secretary. Considering who he replaced, Gates has served with nobility and humility, two characteristics lacking from Donald Rumsfeld. He will work well with the Obama team.

From US News and World Report:

Print and broadcast media are reporting that Defense Secretary Bob Gates will continue on in the Obama Administration for at least one year. ABC World News reported Gates “will stay on for at least the first year of the new Obama Administration.” NBC Nightly News also said Gates “will now likely remain in office at the Pentagon for at least another year,” while the CBS Evening News reported “the official announcement is expected early next week. The Chicago Tribune also reports the story.

On its front page, the Washington Post reports, “Some sources described a ‘rolling transition,’ in which Gates would stay on during a phased changeover of key political appointees at the Pentagon. Others said he could stay in the job indefinitely.” The Politico says “Gates has been negotiating with Obama emissaries over his deputies” and “how the Pentagon will be run.” The Wall Street Journal also reports the story.

Media analyses last night and this morning generally praised Gates’ performance at DOD, and cast Obama’s decision in markedly positive terms. The Chicago Tribune reports that “along with his non-partisan appeal, Gates is valued as a careful steward whose execution of White House policy.”

The Politico reports “the selection of a member of President George W. Bush’s inner circle allows Obama to deliver on his promise of a bipartisan Cabinet, even though Gates has an intelligence background and has not been an active Republican.”

CNN’s The Situation Room reported Gates’ “appeal…is obvious. He’s probably the most admired member of the Bush cabinet, winning plaudits for his pragmatic approach and willingness to hold people accountable.” On its front page, the New York Times reports, “Some Democrats who have advised his campaign quietly complained that he was undercutting his own message and risked alienating war critics who formed his initial base of support.”

Also on its front page, the Washington Post reports the move could “probably disappoint some on the left of the Democratic Party, who would prefer a clear and sharp break with Bush-era policies.” Bloomberg News, AP, AFP and Washington Times also report the story.

On MSNBC’s Hardball, Richard Wolffe of Newsweek said Gates “has been trying to maneuver for this one for a long time. He got a lot of support on the Hill. He convinced the incoming Administration.”

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