Chairman of Joint Chiefs sticks nose in US elections, again

I'm getting a bit tired of watching active-duty Republican military leaders, this time Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, trying to sway US elections. While that's standard practice in banana republics, in America the military doesn't try to influence domestic elections. It's creepy. And it's unprofessional. But that seems to be what the top military commander at the Pentagon did yesterday in publicly criticizing Barack Obama's plan for Iraq - he called it "dangerous." Let's look at the multiple reasons this is in appropriate:

1. As already stated, in America the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff isn't supposed to use his military power to throw US elections to either party. It's creepy and goes against the entire notion of a civilian military command.

2. Even the appearance of a US military leader trying to influence our elections is completely inappropriate. Having the chairman go on TV and criticize a presidential candidate's Iraq policy is, per se, an appearance of impropriety. The chairman should have no public opinion whatsoever on the Democratic or the Republican candidate's plans for Iraq.

3. What does Chairman Mullen plan to do if Barack Obama becomes president in six months and the troops have to implement Obama's withdrawal strategy after Mullen has publicly called it "dangerous"? There is the very real possibility that when that day comes Mullen will have helped to demoralize our troops in their future mission. It's completely irresponsible.