Gates's Honest Answer on Iraq

It's not exactly good news, but it is refreshing to hear the nominee for defense secretary give an honest assessment of the war in Iraq. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, a Democrat, asked a point-blank question: Is the United States winning the war in Iraq? The point-blank answer: "No, sir." With that answer, Bob Gates virtually assured his confirmation to take Donald Rumsfeld's job. He came across in this morning's hearings as the anti-Rumsfeld: not arrogant, not completely convinced he is right about everything, willing to look for new solutions, unwilling to sugarcoat what is a bad–and deteriorating–situation in Iraq.

Let's hope this is a trend as the Iraq Study Group recommendations move into public view.

"In my view, all options are on the table," says Gates, despite a White House that has seemed unwilling to budge while Rummy has been in charge. But the White House has apparently come to grips with the new political reality in Washington–that the Democrats are in charge of Congress, and that the country wants to find a way–the right way–out of the war. That is something Gates himself clearly understands, telling a Senate committee that if the country is not stabilized within the near future, it could pave the way for what he called a "regional conflagration." That's scary.

So there are good signs:

• The administration's decision not to renominate John Bolton for a quixotic run at U.N. ambassador;
• The study group report, which will recommend diplomatic negotiations with Iran and Syria as well as a withdrawal of U.S. combat troops by the first quarter of 2008.

It's clear the White House does not want to appear as if it's ceding its authority. It's got a Pentagon study on Iraq and one at the National Security Council, too. And then the separate Iraq Study Group.

"We'll look at all of the recommendations," says a top White House staffer. "One from group A, one from group B."

If the White House decides that's the way to save face, fine. So long as it listens, and reacts. Because it's really about saving lives.