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When it comes to national security, I can't say I've found myself in agreement with Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich for the past eight years. But after reading through their supportive remarks on the President's Afghanistan speech to West Point the other night, it's rather pleasing to see that slowly but surely, they're coming around to my view of the world. That isn't to say everything in the President's speech came up roses--the needless (and frankly hypocritical) criticisms on domestic policy, for example, or the failure to address the central issues that plagued our Vietnamese effort and the risk of repeating those mistakes in Afghanistan.

General Stanley McChrystal, by way of his civilian-centric strategy for the war in Afghanistan, is experimenting. Thirty-nine female Marines are poised to deploy as "attachments" with an all-male infantry for the express purpose of gaining the trust of Afghan women. After training at Camp Pendleton, located just south of Los Angeles, the Marines will travel to rural villages in Afghanistan's most violent province.

The latest issue of Rolling Stone hit newsstands today, but most Americans already know about the stunning feature inside of it: the profile of General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. The now-infamous article features harsh comments critical of the Obama administration made by McChrystal and some of his aides. The general was called to the White House for a meeting on June 23, where President Obama accepted his resignation and nominated General David Petraeus to be McChrystal's replacement.

General Stanley McChrystal's recent comments about his civilian peers in the Obama administration have left the sometimes-controversial former commander of the war in Afghanistan standing in the unemployment line. To be sure, McChrystal did cross the threshold of professional decorum in today's military and for that, he needed to be held accountable. But the General was not insubordinate. In fact, his perspective on the troubled situation within the Obama administration's foreign policy team should be considered--and not overshadowed by its delivery or the firing.

Much has been made about the similar circumstances surrounding Obama and Clinton's White House entrance, including a failed Bush presidency, eight-plus years of Republican reign, and a country hungry for change. As it turns out, both also had similar challenges their first year in office--strong opposition to a stimulus plan (though Obama was able to pass his, while Clinton wasn't), foreign policy critiques (on Somalia for Clinton and Afghanistan for Obama), and a country disgruntled over a "politics as usual" approach.

"I read Genevieve Long's "Another War-Torn Generation" this week, and as someone deployed in Iraq would like to respond. A very well written article, yes, but perhaps she should have talked to the soldiers she saw in the airport. She might have learned why their boots were so well taken care of--"you can tell the quality of a soldier by the shine on his boots." There is a certain pride that is associated with wearing the uniform and accomplishing the mission of a U.S. Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine. A feeling that one who has never stood a watch will most certainly find it hard to understand."

I see overturning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is again back on the agenda. Has it really been almost two decades since we last had a serious debate about this anachronism?