Mucking Out The Pentagon's Stables

By Cernig

Bob Gates may be staying on as Obama's Defense Secretary, but a lot of people are sighing with relief at the news that most of his Bush administration political underlings will be running for the cover of the nearest neocon think tank.

... many of Gates's top deputies are expected to depart their jobs, according to senior defense and transition officials...The anticipated turnover of many key positions suggests that although Gates will help provide some continuity, the status quo will not necessarily endure at the Pentagon.

Continuity is likely to come in the form of Gates and military commanders leading the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, while a new deputy and team of undersecretaries would manage the Pentagon and focus on longer-range issues such as "the budget, the Quadrennial Defense Review, missile defense, relations with allies and preparation for the next crisis,"

They'll be back in politics soon enough, though, after a resume-buffing stint at think tanks, K Street lobbying firms or some arms manufacturer. Asking Obama to end the revolving door between the DoD and those three would be asking too great a Herculean task.