Liberals Angry Over Obama Keeping Gates as Pentagon Chief

President-elect Obama's expected selection of Robert Gates as his defense secretary and retired Gen. Jim Jones as his national security adviser is raising eyebrows among liberals.

More than a month before he takes the oath of office, President-elect Barack Obama already is testing the loyalty of his liberal base.

On Monday, he is expected to announce his national security team, which will include Robert Gates as his defense secretary, a carry-over from the Bush administration, and retired Gen. Jim Jones, who supported John McCain for president, as his national security adviser.

Liberal blogger Chris Bowers of The Open Left says the message sent by the selection of Gates undermines Democrats. "The message would be clear," he writes in his blog. "Even Democrats agree that Democrats can't run the military."

Obama's outspoken opposition to the Iraq war before he became a U.S. senator was one of the reasons he was embraced early in the presidential race by the anti-war faction of the Democratic Party's base, so his apparent decision to keep a Bush adviser as defense secretary for at least a year has raised some eyebrows within that faction.

Bowers, a member of the Pennsylvania state Democratic committee, argues that Gates provided support and cover for practices from waterboarding to the use of psychotropic drugs on terror detainees. The blogger isn't as negative toward Jones but still called it "very disappointing."

"It is just so very frustrating," Bowers writes. "It seems like the only place progressives are making any gains is in the House. We are being entirely left out of Obama's major appointments so far. I guess everyone gets to play in Obama's administration, except progressives."

Democratic consultant Bob Beckel told FOX News that objections from liberals over Obama's Cabinet selections isn't all bad. "Not so sure, from Obama's standpoint, it's bad politically," he said. "It helps him in his negotiation with Congress."

Obama's national security team also will include several former members of Bill Clinton's administration, eliciting some complaints about recycling people from the Clinton White House. And Obama is expected to pick Hillary Clinton to be his pick for secretary of state.

But Beckel says Obama needs experience from the last Democratic White House. "If he went to a Democratic administration before that, he'd have to go to the nursing home," he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/29/liberals-furious-obama-keeping-gates/

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{ I don't get it? This may be true of some but most liberals I'm aware of are quite pleased with Obama's cabinet picks so far. As far as Robert Gates goes most Americans think he may have been Bush's best appointment and head and tails superior to his predecessor....the despised Rummy. Keeping Gates on for at least a year shows continuity to the world and forward thinking from Obama. The cabinet is coming together and the over all image is one of proven competence and experience. Most important is Obama will hear views that come from all directions unlike the Bush cabinet that were basically ideological clones who thought and acted in lock-step with each other and their master.

Already it looks like Obama will run the country like he ran his campaign.....with experienced people behind him and careful and thoughtful analysis of the problems facing him. Things are looking good in these very difficult times.

What do you think?}