Storms, Teapots, etc.

I think Gen. McChrystal erred in talking publicly about the war in Afghanistan because he is a man who, constitutionally, cannot not tell the truth about his assessment of the war and what we need to do differently. And now that he's the ISAF commander, he can't go on making public speeches because what he says has political import. But I have not been able to get all worked up over this or have sympathy for those trying to make this out to be MacArthur '51. Spencer Ackerman and Walter Pincus*, especially, sum up why such talk is silly, and I recommend you read them both on this matter.

*I met Walter Pincus at a dinner last night, actually. I shook this older man's hand, introduced myself, and he [might well have] said in response, "Hello, Yoda my name is." I don't normally get too awed when meeting people, but it was kind of an honor to meet the guy who has been covering national security for the Washington Post since Katherine Graham was in diapers. What a legend.

UPDATE: Fred's thoughts...