Where Are The Romanovs When You Need One

Stephen Hadley, the National Security Adviser, wants a "war czar" and he wants one now.
Let's see, we have a homeland security czar and national intelligence czar and now we're looking for a war in Iraq czar. What is this, Mother Russia?

"It's something I would like to have done yesterday and if yesterday wasn't available, the day before," National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters during a briefing at the White House. A day earlier, the White House had said the idea for a so-called war czar was still in its infancy.

This is a position that reports directly to the President and would allow the czar to cut across departments and red tape. Isn't that what Hadley is supposed to do?

An expert weighs in:

Michele Flournoy, a former Pentagon defense strategist, expressed skepticism about the new post, saying it sounded like a "bureaucratic fix" to a larger problem. "I think a war czar is a desperate attempt to inject new energy into what is a vacuum of leadership," she said in a conference call with reporters.

A vacuum of leadership? Where is that sucking sound coming from?

It would appear to be the oval office.

Jim M