And the word from the Dems is……………. …………………. ……………… …………….

WASHINGTON - In the 14 years since he left government, former CIA director Robert Gates has advised 10 different companies, assessing issues as varied as Saudi Arabian oil drilling, mutual funds performance and restaurant sales at Romano’s Macaroni Grill.

“I first sought him out because I considered him to be of exceptional good judgment and intelligence,” said Rodney B. Mitchell, president of the Houston investment firm The Mitchell Group, which used Gates as a senior adviser.

As Gates awaits Senate confirmation to serve as President Bush’s secretary of defense, ethics watchdogs worry about the revolving door between government and private business that allowed Gates to align himself with defense contractors, investment houses and a global drilling company involved with Vice President Dick Cheney’s former employer, Halliburton Inc.

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