DoD Watchers Mull the Next President

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DoD Watchers Mull the Next President
Kansas City Star | By Scott Canon | February 20, 2008

Truman had MacArthur. Kennedy stumbled into the Bay of Pigs. George W. Bush returned the force of nature that is Donald Rumsfeld to the Pentagon.

Whoever becomes the next commander in chief will wade into the sometimes uneasy world where admirals and generals cross paths, and sometimes swords, with presidents.

"Whenever you get new civilian leadership, you want to know: What's going to be their attitude?" said retired Navy Adm. Bobby Inman. "You want to see where they're coming from."

Although Republican Sen. John McCain comes with the broadest military experience -- both in and out of uniform -- some analysts say he might pose the greatest threat to the status quo. Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, less schooled about tanks and bombers, might be susceptible to intimidation or manipulation by the brass.

Whatever the political footing, the next president will inherit the Iraq war, a wildly expensive and mostly unpopular conflict. American forces will certainly still be fighting in Afghanistan, where many in uniform think they would now be stronger had it not been for the overwhelming need for manpower and materiel in Iraq.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,162432,00.html