NEWT THE STRATEGIST

Virginia Postrel makes a rather puzzling observation with respect to Newt Gingrich’s criticism of the Bush Administration’s Iraq policy:

The Pentagon may not listen to InstaPundit’s concerns about discretionary infrastructure bucks (see below), but it’s supposed to listen to Newt.

Why, exactly, is the Pentagon supposed to listen to former congressmen with no military background?

I saw Gingrich, via TiVo delay, on Meet the Press yesterday and agreed with some of what he had to say on the subject. Indeed, he echoed some things I’ve written about the need to put an Iraqi face on things, quickly. But what Newt knows about military strategy is just what he’s heard others say; he’s not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.