The replacement of Rumsfeld with Gates is significant, especially coming as it does over Cheney's objections. So is Bush's statement today in which he indicated that the administration will partner closely with the Baker Iraq study group in which Gates has been involved.
Reading the tea leaves, Bush seems to have lost faith in the neocons and Jim Baker's crew of realist conservatives is taking over. This will be confirmed if Gates purges the senior civilian staff at the Pentagon (like Cambone). Another way of looking at it is that the real power brokers from Wall Street and Big Oil have sent Baker's boys in to preserve our national interests in the Middle East. Bush may have been placed under heavy duress to make this move.
You may recall that Jim Baker has been on the outs with the neocons ever since he essentially told the Israelis to stuff it when he was Secretary of State. I can't say that I'm unhappy seeing him back in the mix.
-Reading the tea leaves, Bush seems to have lost faith in the neocons and Jim Baker's crew of realist conservatives is taking over.-
This means if the $#!t starts to hit the fan with
endless Rat House investigations on Cheney / Halliburton etc., Cheney may well step down pre-emptively sometime in the next 2 years.