War Czar

Bush finally found someone willing to take over management of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Lieutenant Gen. Douglas Lute is the new War Czar.

The White House has avoided the term "war czar." Bush called Lute the "full-time manager" for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lute has been director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff since September. Before that, he served for more than two years as director of operations at U.S. Central Command, during which he oversaw combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"He has already earned the respect and trust of the officials with whom he will be working in his new role," Bush said.

The new job comes as administration tries to use a combat troop buildup in Iraq to allow security and political reconciliation to take hold.

The White House has sought a war coordinator to eliminate conflicts among the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies. Lute will seek to cut through bureaucracy and deliver fast responses when requests come in from U.S. military commanders and ambassadors.

Those duties sound identical to those of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. I thought we already had one of those.

Is nobody else alarmed that the Bush administration is acknowledging that the president is unable to exercise command over the U.S. military?