Gates the realist draws line between him and Bush

Although we have enough reasons to be skeptical of every Bush cabinet member, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is as close as any of them get to being level-headed.  Gates is parting with Bush on the issue of benchmarks for the Iraqi government.  According to once source, Gates and the President are not on the same page:

"I believe Gates is on a completely different page than President Bushand Gen. Petraeus," a former senior Defense official told the LA Times. "He wants to see some results by summer, and if he doesn't see those results, he seems willing to throw the towel in."

That former defense official might have been referring to Gates' recent trip to Iraq, where he warned the Iraqi government that Americans are running out of patience and the U.S. occupation is not open-ended.

Although he disagrees with putting a deadline on the mission, he said such debate in Congress actually "has had a positive impact."  For a Bush Administration official, this kind of language is unprecedented since the war began.

We should at least give credit where credit is due.  Now of course, whether he follows through or not is another story.  We may disagree with the Bush-Cheney rhetoric that is inserted into his speeches.  But in the end, he is the only realist in the Bush Administration -- and having one realist is certainly better than having none.