Sources: SecDef race coalescing around Danzig

[unhappycamper]

Sources: SecDef race coalescing around Danzig
By John T. Bennett - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 20:10:11 EST

President-elect Barack Obama is leaning toward making Richard Danzig, a former Navy secretary and one of his top defense advisers, the next U.S. defense secretary, according to sources.

“The Bush appointees are preparing to turn it over to (Danzig),” said a former Army official, citing conversations with high-level defense officials.

A second source close to the campaign’s planning process said that while no final decision has been made, “that definitely seems to be the direction we’re headed in.” How the shift from incumbent Robert Gates to Danzig would be carried out, the official said, has yet to be ironed out within the Obama camp.

But what is increasingly clear, both sources said, is the Obama camp’s deliberations about the secretary post appear to be coalescing around Danzig.

The most likely scenario would be keeping Gates on for a short period with Danzig as his deputy. That would allow him to continue overseeing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars until the Obama defense and national security team is ready to take over, the sources said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/defense_danzig_111108/%2e