Bill Daley on Robert Gates memoir: I never sensed a White House-Pentagon conflict

"I saw a president who was very committed, obviously, to support the troops, to support the policy of trying to decimate al Qaeda," he said.

Gates, who served under both Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush, often praises Mr. Obama in the book for his decision-making but describes a White House staff that micromanaged and was extremely controlling, sometimes extending that reach to higher-ups at the Pentagon.

 Daley, who is now a CBS News contributor, said what he witnessed between members of the administration and the military was more of a healthy dialogue, one that the president welcomed.

"I never sensed, to be honest with you, in the 12 months that I was there, a conflict," he said.

Gates said there were strong disagreements and that that's natural under the circumstances.

"These are very difficult issues, and there's a lot of tension around the discussions on policy decisions and what's going on in theater," Gates said.

In the memoir, "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War," Gates saves some of his harshest criticism for Vice President Joe Biden. A Washington Post article describes the feelings he expresses for the vice president as "outright contempt."

Daley said that, while he respects Gates and supports his right to express his opinions, the publication of this memoir is poorly timed.

"This rush to do books by people who leave an administration while the administration is ongoing, I think, is unfortunate," he said. "It's one thing as historians look back on an administration, but in the middle of it, when you're pursuing a war at the same time and one that is very controversial with the American people and has been very difficult on our military, I think it's just a disservice."