General Lute has fewer stars than
many he’s supposed to control,
but it’s reasonable to assume they all
refused to be considered for his job

One reason senior officers gave
for passing this opportunity was
the president’s only apparent plan ―
“when Iraqis step up, we’ll step down.”

It may be just an accident, but in 2005
the new czar told the Financial Times
at some point “you simply have to back off
and let the Iraqis step forward.”

In 2006 he said the military wanted
“a smaller, lighter…U.S. force structure
in Iraq,” If Bush should want a new plan,
General Lute has the makings of a beaut.