Reply #53: I also think Gates is great insurance against mischief on the way out [View All]

[caraher]

Look at it this way:

If Obama named someone else, that's ~2 months in which Gates is serving a lame-duck president and his failed policies. Apart from sheer sense of duty and patriotism, what motive would Gates have for making a smooth handoff in January?

Keeping Gates has one great virtue: Gates has every reason NOT to sabotage his successor. He knows, today, that his job will be to pave the way for a transfer of power to the Iraqis, and this can't help but affect positively what he does in the coming weeks.

And as the Bushies reminded us ad nauseum, cabinet officials serve largely "at the pleasure of the President." I foresee Obama retaining Gates until the end of the tunnel is in sight and then making a change. Unless things take a sharp turn for the worse, which will only shorten Gates' tenure.