At DoD, Gates Works on Transition to Himself

[babylonsister]

At DoD, Gates Works on Transition to Himself

By Ann Scott Tyson


Defense Secretary Robert Gates is "recalibrating" President-elect Barack Obama's transition team efforts at his department in light of the fact that he will be "transitioning to himself," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said today.

"This is no longer transitioning to a to-be-determined secretary of defense. This is transitioning to himself. And there are certain things he needs," said Morrell, who will be staying on as Gate's press secretary for "the forseeable future" as part of the unusual handover effort.

Specifically, Morrell said, Gates "needs greater insight into the national security agenda of President-elect Obama" as he seeks to restock the department's array of top positions and build "an Obama-Gates Defense Department."

Gates took a step in that direction in a meeting yesterday with Vice President-elect Joseph Biden, in which the Pentagon chief offered insights to the incoming veep on how to run the nation's "national security operations, everything from how to conduct meetings, appropriate participants, those kinds of things," said Morrell.

The meeting "really was an opportunity" for Biden "to call upon the secretary's vast experience in national security operations," Morrell said.

more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/09/at_dod_gates_works_on_transiti.html