Gates to Stay Sec. Def. In Obama Cabinet

During the campaign, President-elect Obama made an oath to have members of both major parties involved in the highest levels of his administration. That meant one thing: he needed at least one Republican to take a position in his cabinet.

Today, that vow was fullfilled. According to sources in Obama's transition team, the incoming President has asked the current Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, to stay on in that capacity when he takes over on January 20th. Gates has a reputation as a moderate Republican, despite his ties to the Bush family.

While Gates has made no secret of his intense desire to return home to Washington State, he is expected to accept the offer, for the same reason Obama made it: with two wars still ongoing, it just makes sense to maintain as much stability during the change of power as possible. Gates, who is intimately familiar with the situation in both occupied nations, would be an invaluable resource to the new administration.

Discussion is still on-going, but early reports say that Gates will probably remain with the Obama team for at least a year.

Gates has served as President Bush's Secretary of Defense since 2006.