(CNN) - Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid called then-Defense Secretary Bob Gates in 2008 to say he was considering Gates as a potential running mate for Barack Obama, according to the ex-Pentagon chief's new memoir.

In an exchange recounted on page 262 of the book, "Duty," Reid quizzed Gates on the phone about his political history. Gates was appointed Defense Secretary by former President George W. Bush in 2006 and remained at his post as part of Obama's team of rivals.
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