A czar is born

So President Bush has finally selected a full-time fall guy, er whipping boy, er "war czar" to manage that frustraterin' terror thingie that America is all caught up in:

In the newly created position of assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for Iraq and Afghanistan policy and implementation, [Lt. Gen. Douglas] Lute would have the power to direct the Pentagon, State Department and other agencies involved in the two conflicts. Lute would report directly to the president and to National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.

Can't wait for Bush to start calling him "Lutey Lute," "Luteski," "Lute Blossom" or whatever before he gives him the ole fatal "heckuvajob" and fires his ass sometime down the road.  Cause the job of taking hits for the President is a bitch.  Hell, it's driven away two press secretaries, landed a third in the hospital, and made Colin Powell and Mike Brown laughingstocks forever.

Other retired brass wisely passed on the dubious honor of playing Stepin Fetchit for Bush.  From the article: "Filling the position had become a priority for the White House, after a handful of retired generals told the White House they did not want the job."

War critics VoteVets.org had this to say:

Those of us who have a rudimentary understanding of the military and Constitution know that there is already a war czar. The position has a different name, though - Commander in Chief, or as the President says, 'the commander guy.' Whatever the name of the position is, this proves the President is throwing in the towel when it comes to directing the military, and is giving up his Constitutional role. The troops are now depending on Lt. Gen. Lute to do something the President wouldn't - listen to commanders who are telling him we need more diplomacy, not escalation. It's now up to Lt. Gen. Lute to undo the President's failed policies in Iraq, and bring a heavy dose of diplomacy in the region, so we can begin to get our troops out of the Iraqi religious civil war.