Official: Obama Asks Secretary Gates to Stay On | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Official: Obama Asks Secretary Gates to Stay On

In honor of a fallen 9-year-old, President Barack Obama called on the nation to raise the level of discourse in the nation, to live up to the expectations of our children.

In honor of a fallen 9-year-old, President Barack Obama called on the nation to raise the level of discourse in the nation, to live up to the expectations of our children. Photo by Kenya Hudson/File photo

The Washington Post is reporting:

Seeking experience in a time of war, President-elect Barack Obama will keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates in that job _ if only temporarily _ and he has chosen a retired Marine general to be his national security adviser, officials said Tuesday. Gates and retired Gen. James Jones bring years of experience to the Cabinet of a 47-year-old commander in chief with a relatively thin foreign policy resume.

Obama, who rolled out the key components of his economic team this week, plans to announce his foreign policy braintrust after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Gates, who has served as President George W. Bush's defense chief for two years, will remain in the Cabinet for some time, probably a year, according to an official familiar with discussions between the two men. A Democratic official said Jones was Obama's pick to head the National Security Council, the part of the White House structure that deals with foreign policy.

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