Reader Rich wrote the following in the comments today, and I just thought it was very interesting. It was in response to Joe's post, which I agree with, about how impressed we both were with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mullen's, testimony today at the Don't Ask Don't Tell hearing in the Senate:
I'm not sure how much exposure you have to ADM Mullen's statements to Congress and in public over the years. He never makes personal statements about anything. His language is always perfectly couched and nuanced so that no one could ever perceive the slightest bit of personal leanings or engagement. He's quite boring. Today's statement was completely out of the ordinary for the Chairman. He never goes off the reservation like he did today. Never.As an aside, Mullen's and Gates' notion of a year-long study is a non-starter. A lot can change in a year, like control of Congress.
I still have my doubts, but I cannot characterize today's testimony as a fail when I consider the words and actions of the JCS Chairman all throughout his career. He chose to deliberately step out of his normal military character to make a profound statement to the Senate panel. Then, when challenged by GOP Senators, he repeated it for emphasis. Today was an historic moment. Will it be truly historic, or just a footnote in history? That remains to be seen.
