Gates: ‘No way I could say no’ to Obama

[unhappycamper]

Gates: ‘No way I could say no’ to Obama
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, December 4, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters that it was "inconceivable" that he would stay in his current job under a new administration.

"It was my hope that if I made enough noise about how much I did not want to stay here and how much I wanted to go back to the northwest that I wouldn’t have to worry about the question ever being asked, because I also knew myself well enough to know that if the question was asked, what the answer would be," Gates told reporters Tuesday.

When it became clear that President-elect Barack Obama would ask him to stay on, Gates initially hoped that Obama would change his mind.

But on Monday, Obama introduced Gates along with the rest of his national security team.

"With the country fighting two wars, our men and women in uniform at risk, if the president asked me to help, there was no way I could say no," Gates said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59186

[rpannier]

1. I'm with Gates...I hoped Obama would change his mind too

Unfortunately it didn't happen