West Wing Briefing: Obama to bid farewell to Gates, then attend fundraisers

President Obama will say goodbye to one of his top advisers, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, at a farewell ceremony at the Pentagon on Thursday.

Gates, who served as defense secretary the final two years of George W. Bush’s second term and was persuaded by Obama to stay on, was a key ally of Obama’s in working with the military, particularly on the president’s Afghanistan policy.

And Obama is choosing to honor Gates in an elaborate way, hosting a private dinner at the White House on Wednesday in honor of the defense chief in addition to the event at the Pentagon.

Obama will leave town Thursday afternoon to attend two campaign fundraisers in Philadelphia.

By Perry Bacon Jr.  |  06:00 AM ET, 06/30/2011

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