Looks like Gates is going to spend all his time on the Hill

Yesterday it was the Senate, today the House:

Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be back before Congress today, this time before the House Armed Services Committee. Yesterday, Gates told the
Senate Armed Services Committee that U.S. forces might be able to start leaving
Iraq before the end of the year, if daunting conditions including subdued violence and political reconciliation are met.

But there was a benefit to the hearing because he was able to stress that the surge isn't our last chance in Iraq:

Gates told lawmakers the current buildup of forces is "not the last chance" to succeed in Iraq and conceded that he's considering what steps to take if it doesn't work.

"I would be irresponsible if I weren't thinking about what the alternatives might be," Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

This is something that needs to be said over and over again until the American people get it that we can't leave until the Iraqi forces are strong enough to take over.

Tags: Robert Gates, Iraq, war