[R-G] Obama says would include Republicans in cabinet

[Anthony Fenton]

Obama says would include Republicans in cabinet
Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:14am EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49T05X20081030

SUNRISE, Florida (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama  
said on Wednesday he would include Republicans in his Cabinet if he  
wins the election.

Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, also said he had "some  
pretty good ideas" about people he might tap for senior government  
jobs, though he emphasized he is focused for now on the final days of  
the campaign and takes nothing for granted.

"There is a transition process -- that I'm not paying attention to on  
a day-to-day basis -- but that has been set up," Obama told ABC News  
in an interview.

Obama said he "absolutely" considered it important to have Republicans  
in the Cabinet but he sidestepped a question on whether he would ask  
Defense Secretary Robert Gates to remain in his job. There has been  
speculation that either Obama or his Republican rival, John McCain,  
might ask Gates to stay on.

"I'm not going to get into details," Obama said, but he added that  
national security policy, in particular, should be nonpartisan.

Other people mentioned as possible defense secretary picks in an Obama  
administration include former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig and Sen.  
Chuck Hagel, a Republican senator from Nebraska.

Some analysts have speculated that during the transition period  
between November 4 and January 20, when a successor to President  
George W. Bush will take office, the new president-elect would move  
quickly to fill key jobs such as Treasury Secretary, Defense Secretary  
and Secretary of State.

Some public policy experts see a need for early announcements on such  
appointments in light of the global financial crisis and the Iraq and  
Afghanistan wars.

"I am not going to jump the gun on this," Obama said but he gave  
credit to the Bush administration for its offer to make government  
resources available to both candidates to begin the vetting process  
early.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan; editing by Todd Eastham)