Looks like many people are saying that Obama is going to hold over Gates possibly at DOD. Is this a wise choice? As the surge has worked military wise(not political wise) in Iraq and he along with the brian trust of David Petraeus has made it work there. It looks like as we continue to draw down in Iraq next year. We will be headed the "surge" route in Afganistan. What are your thoughts on this?

[It's not clear that the "surge" worked at all in Iraq. Read Bob Woodward's latest book? While clearly violence in Iraq is way down, the "surge" is just one of many factors involved.]

I happen to like Gates - I read his book long before he came back to government to take over Defense. A guy who found good things to say about Jimmy Carter is worth taking a second look at.

The problem with keeping Gates probably isn't Gates himself, it's the people under him - people put there by Rumsfeld or by the Bush administration. Many (Feith, Wolfowitz, etc.) have already gone, but some of them still need to be gotten rid of. Competent civil servants should be kept, but people who went to Defense because they were Republican political cronies need to be tossed out - and sometimes, that's hard to do unless you clean out everyone.

Andrew

I agree. A flush at the DOD is needed. We don't want anyone who has a sleazebag like Rumsfeld or Cheney in their pocket on the Obama team.

I for one after several years didn't have many nice things to say about rummy. But I believe Gates has the right course going right now in Iraq and will turn that into some what of a success in the best way possible. It is just sad that rummy the dummy could not figure that out himself.

I'm on the Gates wagon here. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and he knows what he is doing....