[Peace-discuss] Obama and the first Bush admin

[C. G. Estabrook]

Joe KLEIN in the new Time magazine – 'Obama says he wants to hire a
Team of Rivals for his Cabinet. He should start by keeping Robert
Gates': 'Barack Obama has never been shy about comparing himself to
Abraham Lincoln. ... Obama has said he admires Doris Kearns Goodwin's
wonderful Lincoln biography, 'Team of Rivals.' 'He talks about it all
the time,' says a top aide. He is particularly intrigued by the
notion that Lincoln assembled all the Republicans who had run against
him for President in his war Cabinet, some of whom disagreed with him
vehemently and persistently. 'The lesson is to not let your ego or
grudges get in the way of hiring absolutely the best people,' Obama
told me. 'I don't think the American people are fundamentally
ideological. They're pragmatic ... and so I have an interest in
casting a wide net, seeking out people with a wide range of
expertise, including Republicans,' for the highest positions in his
government. ... 'I don't want to have people who just agree with me,'
he said. 'I want people who are continually pushing me out of my
comfort zone.'

'Obama said he'd be particularly interested in having high-ranking
Republicans advising him on defense and national security. 'I really
admire the way the elder Bush negotiated the end of the cold war-with
discipline, tough diplomacy and restraint ... and I'd be very
interested in having those sorts of Republicans in my Administration,
especially people who can expedite a responsible and orderly
conclusion to the Iraq war-and who know how to keep the hammer down
on al-Qaeda.' When I asked him specifically if he would want to
retain Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, Obama said, 'I'm not
going to let you pin me down ... but I'd certainly be interested in
the sort of people who served in the first Bush Administration.'
Gates was George H.W. Bush's CIA director-and he has been a superb
Secretary of Defense ... Associates say Gates might stay if he
believed the security of the troops was at stake.'

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