Analogy of the Week, II (or Man Crush part deux)

Not only am I a big fan of Obama, but SecDef Gates is such an improvement over Rumsfeld that I cannot help but gush, even when I don't agree entirely with the decisions. So, I was quite pleased to see this quote:

In his new memoir, Matt Latimer, a Pentagon speechwriter under Mr. Gates’s predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld, compares Mr. Gates to the Harvey Keitel character in “Pulp Fiction” — the one who shows up after the grisly killing to wipe away all traces of blood. (from NYT piece)

My students often wonder if I am a realist or a liberal (in IR theory terms), and the real answer, when it comes to policy-making is that I am a pragmatist. So, when I see the SecDef being legitimately lauded as one, I am thrilled.