War Room

Cheney in charge

The Washington Post says that the White House is looking for a "war czar" to oversee the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The catch? Dick Cheney already has the job, and he's not letting go.

That's how retired Marine Gen. Jack Sheehan sees it, anyway. Sheehan says the White House offered him the "war czar" job recently but that he turned it down because he thinks Cheney and his people still have the most pull within the administration. "There's the residue of the Cheney view -- 'We're going to win, al-Qaida's there' -- that justifies anything we did," Sheehan said. "And then there's the pragmatist view -- how the hell do we get out of Dodge and survive? Unfortunately, the people with the former view are still in the positions of most influence."

The even more "fundamental issue"? Sheehan said that administration officials "don't know where the hell they're going." And that, he said, made it easy for him to say that he wouldn't be going back to work for the government. "Rather than go over there, develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, 'No, thanks.'"

The Post says two other retired generals, Army Gen. Jack Keane and Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, have also turned away inquiries about the job.

Sarah Palin's pastor problem
Move over Jeremiah Wright
McCain knocks Obama as "celebrity" again
But Paris Hilton doesn't make an appearance in this new ad.
More dirt on Palin on the way?
The National Enquirer is reporting that Sarah Palin had an affair with her husband's business partner, who reportedly just tried to have his divorce records sealed.
Woodward: Don't credit surge for Iraq turnaround
In his new book, the investigative journalist credits covert ops with reducing violence in Iraq.

Current Salon Politics Stories

Salon Politics Blogs

  • Mean Old Party

    From Fred Thompson to Sarah Palin, snarling Rudy Giuliani to smiling Lindsey Graham, Republicans bared their fangs this week to hide their unpopular agenda. And it might work.

  • Will the GOP's negativity produce a backlash?

    Democrats like to tell themselves that Americans dislike the character attacks in which the GOP specializes. But that comforting thought is untrue.

Recent Posts

McCain knocks Obama as "celebrity" again
But Paris Hilton doesn't make an appearance in this new ad.
More dirt on Palin on the way?
The National Enquirer is reporting that Sarah Palin had an affair with her husband's business partner, who reportedly just tried to have his divorce records sealed.
Woodward: Don't credit surge for Iraq turnaround
In his new book, the investigative journalist credits covert ops with reducing violence in Iraq.
Previous Posts…

War Room RSS Feed

Posts by date

September 2008
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930

About War Room

War Room is written and edited by Alex Koppelman, with contributions from Salon reporters around the country.

Daily Newsletter

Get Salon in your mailbox!