Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates told reporters Wednesday that though he believes “somebody” in Pakistan knew of Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts, there is no substantial proof that senior members of the country’s government were aware. Political pundits and critics have questioned whether the country’s senior leadership knew and did not disclose of  Bin Laden […]

WASHINGTON – A White House-approved proposal to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban against gays serving openly in the military is expected to face a vote in Congress as early as this week.

From Craig Gordon & Ben Smith at Politico.com: It’s slim pickings left for high-profile White House hopefuls, as bold-face names like Clinton and Gates have taken some of the plum postings. With the inner circle occupied, most of the jockeying now focuses on powerful, lower-profile sub-Cabinet positions.

President-elect Barack Obama will keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates in that job for at least a year, according to an official familiar the two men’s discussions.