Obama may ask defence secretary Gates to stay on.

This is just symptomatic of the lack of any real difference in foreign policy between the Democrats and Republicans. Both parties share an aggressive imperialist policy that attempts to assert U.S. global hegemony even though it will ruin the U.S. economy, in the end burdening the populace with ruinous debt and wasting resources that could have been used to improve the condition of Americans at home. Also, there is a waste of American lives for foreign adventures that mostly benefit the capitalist cronies of the two main parties who lavishly support them and are richly rewarded with defence contracts and no bid contracts in Iraq and elsewhere.
If the war on terrror did not exist something else would have been invented to hoodwink the U.S. populace. Don't be surprised if China or Russia become new evil empires within a very short while. A new unifying diversion may be necessary as times get harder.
Robert Gates continuing tenure is also symptomatic of what Obama stands for in the way of real change.

Barack Obama may recruit defence chief Robert Gates
Sarah Baxter in WashingtonTimes of LondonJune 29, 2008

In defiance of traditional party labels, Barack Obama, the Democraticpresidential nominee, may ask the defence secretary of President George WBush to stay on if he wins the White House.Obama's top foreign policy and national security advisers are pressing thecase for keeping Robert Gates at the Pentagon after he won widespread praisefor his performance. The move would be in keeping with Obama's desire toappoint a cabinet of all the talents.After appealing for unity with former rival Hillary Clinton and hersupporters and big donors last week, Obama, 46, is turning his attention towooing Republicans and independent voters who may be concerned that he lacksthe experience to be trusted with America's defence.Richard Danzig, an adviser to Obama on national security and a former navysecretary, said: "My personal position is Gates is a very good secretary ofdefence and would be an even better one in an Obama administration."The appointment would cause a furore among Democratic party activists butwould have the advantage of providing continuity at a time when Iraq appearsto be stabilising and demanding more independence from America.Ivo Daalder of the Brookings Institution in Washington, a foreign policyadviser to Obama, said: "Robert Gates is one of the best defence secretarieswe have had in a long time and it makes a lot of sense to keep him."Gates, a former member of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, was initiallysceptical about the troop surge in Iraq and has been quietly seeking anorderly transition to a new US administration in January so that hard-wonmilitary gains in Iraq are not thrown away in a hasty withdrawal.At one stage last year, he had hoped that 60,000-70,000 US troops could bewithdrawn by Christmas this year, but he was persuaded to back more modestreductions by General David Petraeus, the US commander. There are still150,000 US troops in Iraq.Obama has declared he will be as "careful" about leaving Iraq as Bush was"careless" going in. His current position is to remove all combat troopsfrom Iraq within 16 months at the rate of "one or two" brigades a month. Heis preparing to visit Iraq and Afghanistan, and will stop over in Britain.Gates recently said Obama and John McCain, his Republican rival, were likelyto take a "sensible approach" to Iraq because "the next president wouldsuffer the greatest consequences if we do get the endgame wrong". RetainingGates would give Obama "cover" for adjusting his policy if necessary, whilereassuring Republicans that withdrawing from Iraq would not imperil nationalsecurity.Gates showed he was comfortable working with Democrats when he appointedJohn Hamre, a former senior official under Bill Clinton, to serve aschairman of the influential Defence Policy Board last year. He alsoappointed William Perry, a former defence secretary who is advising Obama,to the board.Gates has said he finds it "inconceivable" that he would stay on but Obama'sadvisers believe he would respond to the call. "This is a man who believesin service," Daalder said.James Carafano, a defence expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation inWashington, said Obama would be making a "smart move" if he asked Gates tocarry on. "He has clearly adopted a mainstream course on national securitythat would be acceptable to either McCain or Obama."Last month Gates said he backed negotiations with Iran, a policy favoured byObama. "We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage . . . and thensit down and talk with them," the defence secretary told an association ofretired diplomats.Obama has been attacked by McCain, 71, for being all talk and no substancewhen it comes to forging cross-party alliances. The independent-mindedMcCain has had the courage to buck party lines, Republicans argue, whileObama is a conventional liberal beneath the bipartisan rhetoric.Obama has previously told The Sunday Times he is interested in appointingindependent Republican figures such as Senator Chuck Hagel to his cabinet.Hagel, who opposed the Iraq war, is still considered a leading contender fordefence secretary or another prominent post.Obama has also praised Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography ofPresident Abraham Lincoln, because it showed how Lincoln was able to marshala civil war-era cabinet of former opponents.Last week Obama told Joe Klein, a commentator for Time magazine: "The lessonis not to let your ego or grudges get in the way of hiring absolutely thebest people . . . I have an interest in casting a wide net, seeking outpeople with a wide range of expertise, including Republicans."Speculation intensified this weekend that Obama may offer Hillary Clintonthe position of health secretary after he appointed Neera Tanden, her seniorpolicy director and a key architect of her healthcare plan, to his campaignteam.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4232070.ece