Report: Gates Will Stay on as Secretary of Defense

Politico reports, "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has agreed to stay on under President-elect Obama, according to officials in both parties." Gates, who replaced Donald Rumsfeld in 2006, met with Obama's transition team last week; the Pentagon had said, "It was a very positive meeting.... All involved are very committed to a smooth transition. Their conversation covered a wide range of issues." Politico notes, "The selection of a member of President Bush’s inner circle allows Obama to deliver on his promise of a bipartisan Cabinet, even though Gates has an intelligence background and has not been an active Republican." Additionally, it's expected Obama will reveal his national-security team line-up-- including rumored Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton-- next week.