Czarina of the wars!

Probably everybody has seen this article in today's WaPo, "3 Generals Spurn the Position of War 'Czar'Bush Seeks Overseer For Iraq, Afghanistan", by Peter Baker and Thomas E. Ricks, right? It starts,

The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies, but it has had trouble finding anyone able and willing to take the job, according to people close to the situation.

At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the sources said, underscoring the administration's difficulty in enlisting its top recruits to join the team after five years of warfare that have taxed the United States and its military.

"The very fundamental issue is, they don't know where the hell they're going," said retired Marine Gen. John J. "Jack" Sheehan, a former top NATO commander who was among those rejecting the job. Sheehan said he believes that Vice President Cheney and his hawkish allies remain more powerful within the administration than pragmatists looking for a way out of Iraq. "So rather than go over there, develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, 'No, thanks,' " he said.

Quoth the general, "The very fundamental issue is, they don't know where the hell they're going." 'Nuff said. No wonder a timetable is unacceptable! It all reminds me of, of . . .

`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' Alice speaks to Cheshire Cat.
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'

As you might expect, "everybody" is blogging this story:

• Crooks & Liars (The whole endeavor seems geared towards creating a White House photo op, where the president can say, “See? I’m doing something.” Except he really isn’t. Even if Bush could find someone for this very bizarre job, what, exactly, would the person do?)
• AmericaBlog ("The 'wimp factor' is back." "So this political patronage job will have control over numerous government agencies, including control over the Pentagon and the entire war itself, but the person won't have been elected or even confirmed by the Congress. Are they mad?"
• TPM ("I'm not sure I've ever seen a better sign -- though wrapped in a humorous package -- of why this president really can't be trusted to be in charge of anything and why the Republic is genuinely in peril as long as this pitiful goof remains in office. Bush wants to find a general to do his job for him. But he can't get anyone to agree to do it.")

Me? I say, give the idea a chance. I nominate . . . Nancy Pelosi! I mean she's already got her own foreign policy, doesn't she?