U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates speaks to reporters in the heavily-fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad Dec. 5, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)From Boston.com:
WASHINGTON - As the Bush administration was drawing to a close, Robert M. Gates, whose two years as defense secretary had been devoted to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, felt compelled to warn his successor of a crisis closer to home.
The United States "cannot expect to eliminate national security risks through higher defense budgets, to do everything and buy everything," Gates said. The next defense secretary, he warned, would have to eliminate some costly hardware and invest in new tools for fighting insurgents.
What Gates didn't know was that he would be that successor.
Now, as the only Bush Cabinet member to remain under President Obama, Gates is preparing the most far-reaching changes in the Pentagon's weapons portfolio since the end of the Cold War, according to aides.
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My Comment: The White House and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates vs. Congress, lobbyists, and the Defense Industry.
My bet is that Congress and the Defense establishment are going to be the winners.