A solid administrator

Being a part of this government is like being a persecuted Christian in ancient Rome, says Ashton Carter. "You never know when they are going to release the lions and have you torn apart for the amusement of the onlookers," he wrote a few years ago. President Barack Obama's nomination for defense secretary should know: the 60-year-old has long been a part of the political circus in Washington DC.

There is a good recent example of how quickly political executions can happen: Carter's predecessor Chuck Hagel was incredulous when Obama forced him to resign less than two years into his tenure. The friendly words of farewell to the press came across as bad political theater. As everyone knows, there is little room for gratitude in politics - certainly not in Washington.

Carter, who has worked for various administrations in the Pentagon, will doubtless do a good job. Even Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on that. Carter's nomination still needs to be confirmed by the Senate, but leading Republicans have already signaled that they don't intend to put up any obstacles, though they may use the hearings to criticize the president. That too is all part of the Washington circus.

Not a job to envy

Carter was not the president's first choice, but others apparently turned him down. One female candidate is rumored to have preferred to join Hillary Clinton's team, seeing as the former secretary of state is set to announce her candidacy for the presidency in the coming months. Another defense secretary candidate is also thought to have refused, leaving the job to Carter.

He is a good administrator, who will have to deal with budget cuts and overseas wars. The mood among the generals is not good. There is no money for new weapons systems. The Pentagon's welfare costs are exploding. Soldiers trying to work through the trauma of war are returning home in need of psychological treatment. No, Carter's job isn't one that need be envied.

Nor is Carter likely to supply many new impulses in America's defense or transatlantic policies. He will do whatever the White House tells him to. But, unlike his three most recent predecessors, he has a good personal relationship with Susan Rice, Obama's national security advisor. That will certainly help to end the constant friction between the Pentagon and the White House. After all, the US is still at war. For instance, there is still no comprehensive strategy for dealing with the "Islamic State" militia. What we're seeing in Syria and Iraq at the moment is still just a piecemeal solution.