As someone who is anti-Iraq War, I welcome the news that Gate will stay. I was and still am against invading Iraq, but now that we are already in Iraq, we need someone who has proved himself a sound manager of the War to help dig us out of this mess responsibly.

I would have gone with Zinni over Jones, if looking for a Marine four-star. But Obama could have done worse for National Security Advisor.

Kind of expected Gates to stay. Eventually Obama will have to deal with the defense budget, and he or someone will have to make radical changes. We simply can't afford spending close to $600 billion a year anymore. But that isn't going to happen right away, and Gates is non-partisan enough for everyone.

By the way, if you totaled up all the money spent globally on defense, the U.S. spends about half of it. And if you look at the next 10 big spenders, seven are formal allies and one is Switzerland. So the argument we need to spend so much to be ready for (fill in your favorite crisis here) is starting to sound hollow. Take North Korea. South Korea spends more, and most likely could beat them in a conventional fight without our help. And if the North goes nuclear, nothing we spend most of our defense dollars on is going to help the South at that point.

OMG, Obama is Bush Lite!

Obama said that he was going to 'Go Green' -- and he has -- his whole team is 'Recycled' -- about 75 percent
'Post Consumer Content'.

I keep saying I don't like the Obamaites, and then they give me such amusement and pleasure -- Kabuki theatre or Kafkaesque -- Me encata!

Good news.

Mistake... this is not change I can believe in...

Seems to me that a man that has twenty-seven years intel experience and has served under 6 presidents is a man worth keeping around...

As a Republican voter since 1971 (who voted for Obama), in my humble opinion, Robert Gates has been the best Defense Secretary in my lifetime. Although there are a few cabinet choices I'm not wild about, Obama is selecting people who thoroughly understand how the existing system works...exactly what is needed to intelligently fix what isn't working. Choosing Hillary as Secretary of State was the best choice he could have made, and reinforces what I and many other Republicans believed about this man: a natural leader, a brilliant politician, and accomplished executive. Given the magnitude of the problems we're facing, I'd say we're very lucky we hired him.

From the Doggie Whisperer:

(Leaked from Bush White House)

Barney, First Dog, has been begging (on his hind legs) to stay with the New Adminstration (having heard that this position is indeed open and that other has beens have been selected already!).

Barney has vowed to bite only those reporters which the new first family
singles out! Rumor has it that Laura Bush is CRUSHED - having heard this not from Barney but from White House Outsiders!!

How has everyone forgotten that Gates' first job under a Democrat President was as a member of Jimmy Carter's National Security Council right up to the last day of that Administration?

How has everyone forgotten that in the summer of 1980, while being paid to serve President Carter, he undertook a secret mission to Tehran on behalf of the Republican Presidential candidate, Governor Ronald Reagan?

How has everyone forgotten that -on Reagan's behalf- he negotiated the continued imprisonment of the US Embassy hostages right through the election and right up to the moment Reagan took over even though Carter had already negotiated their release?

How has everyone forgotten that the price offered and paid to the Ayatollah Khomenei for six months continued imprisonment of the American diplomats was the promise of the gift of Israeli military hardware to replace the embargoed military goods ordered and paid for by the Shah?

How has everyone forgotten that a man who would betray one President is perfectly capable of betraying another?

Hey Obama, what happened to:

“I can take 4 more weeks of McCain’s attacks, but America can’t take 4 more years of failed McCain/Bush policies!"

Just a clarification--unless Gates renounced his Eagle Scout Award, he is still an Eagle Scout. That doesn't expire. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.

Keeping a guy like Gates on just because he has the experience, even though in the past he was very much a part of the problem, is like a bank lending more money to a borrower who has defaulted on a previous loan because if he makes good this time the bank can recover the previous loan.

I think it is arrogant and simplistic to think there are no candidates out there who have extensive enough experience to take on the job of sec. of defense. Lets not forget that Gates showed bad judgment in the 1980s when he worked for the CIA.

I think keeping him on was a bad idea.