Gates and Hillary

Like Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, Hillary Clinton's every move becomes a media story. Sometimes, Mrs. C. courts the news; sometimes, she tries to avoid the press. Neither stance has worked out for the former First Lady, as her recent announcement of her intention to leave the State Department exemplified.

Her bid to say adieu has lead to speculation about Hillary's "real" plans. The possibility was floated that she will run for president in 2016, when she will be 68 years old. It's ironic that Mrs. Clinton, the antithesis of conservative Republicans, would be nearly as old as Ronald Reagan was when he successfully ran for the presidency against Jimmy Carter.

We'll see. In the meantime, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has already announced his plans to leave his position. Gates shares with Hillary the attention of Congress and the respect of the DC media. In essence, they formed President Obama's A-team.

Most intriguing about Gates and Hillary (both shown in the photo) is that they represented powerful political factions with which The One had to compromise. Gates, a George H.W. Bush protege and high-level holdover from the George W. Bush administration, was useful to keep the right-wing away from the defense establishment and from Obama. Hillary kept the left-wing away from foreign policy. They will be tough acts to follow.