Bob Gates is in as Ahmedinejad is, hopefully, on his way out.

Robert Gates was sworn in today as the new Secretary of Defense, saying Iraq is his top priority as he ushers in a new era we hope will bring lasting solutions to the problems of Iraq and the Middle East. Read it here. Coincidentally, in Iraq things seem to be improving for the West. As reported, opponents of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are leading, and poised to control councils across Iran. For example, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, a reformer and moderate who lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election runoff, drew the most votes of any Tehran candidate to win a seat on the Assembly of Experts -- an Assembly responsible for selecting Iranian Presidents. This cannot be seen as anything but good news for the U. S. in the Middle East.