He abandoned his perfectly reasonable position when he found himself confronting the Deep State (Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government http://www.amazon.com/Deep-State-Constitution-Shadow-Government/dp/0525428348?ie=UTF8&keywords=deep%20state&qid=1463018297&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1 Access) His appointment of Robert Gates, a carry over from the Bush administration signaled his concession.
Suggest you read this book. https://www.amazon.com/Deep-State-Constitution-Shadow-Government/dp/0525428348