Politics

Sec. Gates’s exit sparks talk of Hillary Clinton taking over at the Pentagon

Pat McMahon Contributor
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Speculation in the nation’s capital on who will replace Robert Gates at the Pentagon has centered on an intriguing possibility: Hillary Clinton.

Gates told Foreign Policy magazine that he wants to step down as secretary of Defense sometime in 2011. A Republican, Gates was the only member of President George W. Bush’s Cabinet to stay on under Obama.

“It would be a mistake to wait until January 2012 [to leave],” Gates said. “This is not the kind of job you want to fill in the spring of an election year.”

Clinton may seem an unlikely choice to head the Pentagon, but she has won praise for her performance at State and forged a strong relationship with Gates. Many supporters argue she has the most credibility with the military of any Democrat and would be a logical choice to take Gates’s place at the Pentagon.

Full story: Sec. Gates’s exit sparks talk of Hillary Clinton taking over at the Pentagon – TheHill.com