OBAMARAMA

Sen. Obama seized on comments by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that appeared in yesterday’s Washington Post, in which Gates said that “demands in the U.S. Congress for a timeline to withdraw American troops from Iraq are constructive because they exert pressure on Iraq’s leaders to forge compromises.”

Gates continued:

“The strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable probably has had a positive impact . . . in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment.”

[Cue record scratch] Wait…what? President Bush’s own Secretary of Defense thinks the Democratic Congress’s efforts to enforce a timeline are “constructive”? You mean he doesn’t think they’re aiding the terrorists? He’s not impugning their patriotism or commitment to the troops? And he’s willing to express this opinion publicly? Who is this guy?

Sen. Obama underscored this rare administration candor via press release:

“After the President has repeatedly ignored the will of Congress and the American people, his own Secretary of Defense now recognizes that the only way to pressure the Iraqi government toward a political settlement is to make clear that American troops will not be in Iraq forever. President Bush has had a long history of ignoring the advice of his commanders on the ground, but let’s hope that he follows the advice of his Defense Secretary so that we can finally begin the process of ending the war in Iraq in a responsible way.”

Secretary Gates’s remarks may not make him the most popular guy in the Bush administration this week. Then again, it seems like these days being well-liked within the Bush administration is kind of like being the most popular kid at vampire school.  Sure they think you’re cool, but at the end of the day you just know you it’s going to come back and bite you.