Whew, glad to see a post at the Stump. There hadn't been one since Friday and it is now almost Monday afternoon, EST. I thought for a moment that too much post-election partying had temporarily brought the Stump down.

I am tormented by the question of Robert Gates. On the one hand, he is absolutely the only Bush appointee whom it potentially makes practical sense to keep. On the other, continually ceding national security to the Republicans is one of the Democrats' worst and most self-defeating tendencies. I am persuaded that he's competent and useful, but I can't stand the politics of the thing.

It would be characteristic of Obama to reject the partisan reasons for ousting Gates and keep him on, at least for a while.

Libref -- the Stump has worked tirelessly to bring us campaign coverage for over a year now. They can get the weekends off.

I'm exactly where bdgreen is. I like the job Gates is doing, and I like the idea of keeping him on if he's the best man for the job, which he might be. But I absolutely am sick and tired of Democratic presidents validating the myth of Republican strength on defense by appointing Republicans to run Defense.

Is there no one of Gates' temperament who identifies as a Democrat?

Also, please don't appoint Tim Kaine to anything until 2010. He will do much more good to the Democratic Party by keeping a Democrat in Virginia's governorship than he will do the county by taking any federal post this year.