From an NPR “Morning Edition” interview with Defense Secretary Robert Gates:
Well, given that, do you assume, just for planning purposes that the administration that follows you will pursue roughly the same policy in Iraq?
Well, first I would say I don’t do politics [chuckles] and I certainly will not be here after Jan. 20, 2009. But I was heartened in the debate among the Democratic candidates a few weeks ago, that when asked if they would commit to having all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of their first term, the leading candidates all declined to make that commitment.