Beginning his first week in office, Obama held a series of meetings on the subject [of Afghanistan reinforcements] with civilian and military officials, including McKiernan; Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command; Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates; and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. [emphasis added]
One of those things is not like the others, right? There's no reason why your secretary of state would have to be involved in such military discussions. Runs counter to the Dick Morris theory of Hillary marginalization--which my new print magazine piece doesn't accept either (although there's still time for that!).
--Michael Crowley