Lessons from the Gates War Room by Greg Jaffe, Washington Post. BLUF: "In his four years in the Pentagon, Gates has become an indispensable force in the debate over two deeply unpopular wars. He's been a savvy manager of the Pentagon bureaucracy and earned a reputation as the most ruthlessly efficient defense secretary in decades."
Gates' Tenure Successful, Contradictory by Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times. BLUF: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates leaves office Thursday popular with the liberal Washington establishment, but not so with conservatives chafed by his budget cutting and his enthusiastic support for open gays in the ranks."