Bush's Behind-My-Back Purge

The President’s unwillingness to face reality has taken a new turn. While he is overseas disporting with his friend Vladimir, command of the war in Iraq is quietly being changed in Washington.

Yesterday members of Congress, at confirmation hearings of the new war “czar,” learned that Stephen Hadley, the White House national security adviser and chief cheerleader for the Surge, would no longer have anything to do with Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gen. Douglas E. Lute, who testified he would be reporting directly to the President, also told Congress he had expressed doubts about the new policy in January, believing "a military surge would likely have only temporary and localized effects."

Today the Secretary of Defense replaced Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace with Adm. Michael G. Mullen, describing him as “a very smart strategic thinker.”

It is perfectly consistent with Bush’s refusal to admit mistakes to be transferring military power to realists about Iraq by letting it happen behind his back.

We can only hope.