Realistic

I don't think the word realistic means the same to David Cameron as it seems to mean to the rest of us. Mind you he is talking about attempting to negotiate with the EU which has totally different ideas on negotiating anyway, more on the lines of give us what we want or else.
Telegraph.

David Cameron will today fight for a "tough but realistic" deal on EU budget, amid reports that Brussels may be prepared to cut spending by more than expected.
He will meet this morning with Herman Van Rompuy, the EU president, who is proposing a deal that would cut the overall budget, but reduce the value of Britain’s annual rebate.
Speaking this morning Mr Cameron said he would be “negotiating hard” against an "unacceptable” EU spending increase and defending the British rebate.
The PM said it was “quite wrong” for the European Commission to propose increased Brussels budgets at a time of national austerity.
"These are very important negotiations. Clearly at a time when we are making difficult decisions at home over public spending it would be quite wrong - it is quite wrong - for there to be proposals for this increased extra spending in the EU.

The EU seem to believe in the rob Peter to pay Paul principle in offering a budget reduction, but only if we give up our rebate. No doubt Cameron believes himself to be between a rock and a hard place with his every instinct telling him to give in, but knowing it will be political suicide for him if he does.
As the post title suggests, Cameron's idea of realistic probably does not match my, or indeed pretty much anyone's idea of realistic save only the rabid EUphiles in the Tory party and the Lib Dems.
Quite frankly the sooner we leave the better, no one, but no one, believes the EUphile lies about going it alone, we're a trading nation, we'll trade plus there's a deficit of trading advantage to the EU against us so those who believe the EU will stop trading with us will have to think again.
We can and will be better off out that Cameron and many politicians can't see this is to the UK's extreme detriment.