Barack Obama to keep Robert Gates in Defense
President-elect Barack Obama has decided to retain the Bush administration's secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, in his current position, at least for a year.
According to a report just posted on FoxNews.com, Gates' reappointment as Defense secretary will come next week as part of the overall announcements of Obama's national security team, presumably including Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of State.
And retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones as national security adviser.
Although Gates is a registered independent, he has served several Republican administrations, and keeping him would fulfill, at least partially, an Obama pledge to construct a bipartisan administration.
Such a move, if confirmed, could also incite the Democratic left, which had based much of its support on Obama's slowly melting pledge to withdraw American combat troops within 16 months and start immediately.
Gates has been a loyal steward of the surge, which during the political season Obama long appeared reluctant to admit was a success.
Gates was appointed by President Bush to replace Donald Rumsfeld after the 2006 congressional elections that proved disastrous for Republicans. He's refused to comment on the new cabinet speculation.
Gates and Obama also disagree, at least on paper, over the need for a European missile defense system now, with Obama saying he wants the technology to be more proven before any installation talk.
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-- Andrew Malcolm
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Photo: Associated Press
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Now, that IS change!
And yes, we'll can many others.
Posted by: AK | November 25, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Cool. Tough-as-nails Gates is going to drive the left wing wackos crazy. Obama is really busy bringing change we can all believe in. Mostly a change from his pre-election rhetoric.
He is so busy installing Clintonistas into his cabinet, I was amazed Obama chose Robert Gates for sec of defense. Cool!
Posted by: Joe Grossinger | November 25, 2008 at 04:33 PM
So we are in for the long in Iraq with Gates. No change of direction on Iraq War, Mr. President-elect. Please give me back my vote.
Posted by: Angie | November 25, 2008 at 05:25 PM
Ugh... Gates for Iraq War again.
Posted by: Shona | November 25, 2008 at 05:27 PM
Well it seems that anything less than putting Karl Marx in every cabinet position will enrage "the left."
http://investingfirststep.com/
Posted by: InvestingFirstSteps | November 25, 2008 at 06:27 PM
Since both the left and the right are non-happy with this, I think it is a good move. Between talk of "Clintonistas" and people going nuts over a Bush position being retained, I will just sit back and enjoy this Administration.
Posted by: PC LOAD LETTER | November 26, 2008 at 05:50 AM
"Gates has been a loyal steward of the surge, which during the political season Obama long appeared reluctant to admit was a success."
The surge of troops wasn't the success; it was was the change of methods, such as the surge of money into Iraqi hands so they would stop shooting at us. C'mon LA Times, why mischaracterize it, unless you're just appealing to the cognitive disjunction of the American Mind.
Posted by: Zaboomofo | November 26, 2008 at 09:26 AM
As a Republican who voted for Obama, those of you who think the only solution to the Iraq problem is to start bailing out on January 20th are simply not in touch with reality. Gates is the best Secretary of Defense I've seen since I started voting in 1971, and if we want out of Iraq (and we must get out of Iraq, ASAP), the best way to do it is to keep the highly competent people like Gates & Petraeus right where they are and do it right. I've never seen a President-elect demonstrate such skill and intelligence in putting together a team, and it's not even December yet.
Posted by: ted in pdx | November 26, 2008 at 10:24 AM