A Change of Pace
I am a huge fan of the United States Marine Corps and its history of exemplary service to this nation. That said I have to say I’m not sorry that the first Marine Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, will not be reappointed to a second term as the president’s top military advisor.
One of the criticisms levelled at Pace when he was first nominated for CJCS was that he was not one to rock the boat. Little has occurred since he assumed the post to suggest that his critics were wrong. Which is unfortunate, because if ever there was a time when the nation needed unvarnished, sagacious and courageous advice, with Iraq descending into deeper and deeper chaos, the last two years were it?
Perhaps the nomination of a sailor to the post (Admiral Michael Mullen, currently Chief of Naval Operations) will help to bring a much needed broader perspective to the Iraq imbroglio.
