John McCain Urges Obama To Select Joe Lieberman As Next Defense Secretary

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Wednesday that in light of the retirement news of his Senate colleague Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), President Barack Obama should offer his friend and former campaign supporter a cabinet position -- as a replacement for Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

CNN reports:

McCain was answering a question from CNN in a telephone interview about whether the president should consider picking Lieberman for the post, since Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he wants to leave this year.

"You know its funny you mention it," responded McCain, "I really hope that the president would consider him. I hadn't thought about it but I sure hope, whatever happens, he will play a major role on national security issues," said McCain.

Gates has declared his intention to leave the Obama administration sometime this year.

Despite Lieberman's potentially controversial history as a contrarian and hawkish voice in the Democratic Party -- he consistently voted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Democrat -- McCain claimed that Obama's recent staffing decisions might be a good sign for Lieberman's future job prospects.

"I know one thing, that the president has reached out to people that otherwise, maybe a couple of years ago, he wouldn't have given serious consideration," McCain told CNN, "but I can't divine the views of the president."