bringing new knives to the same gunfight

In an attempt to distract and shift blame while he stays the course in Iraq, President Bush is set to announce that he is replacing Gen. George Casey, top military man in Iraq, with Lt. Gen. David Patraeus, and replacing Gen. John Abizaid, head of Central Command, with Admiral William Fallon, currently head of the Pacific Command.

While both moves are overwhelmingly motivated by domestic politics rather than military strategy (because there is no military strategy), the choice of the Navy man Fallon to head the command responsible for directing two protracted ground wars—Afghanistan and Iraq—is especially. . . how did Martha Radatz put it? . . . “unusual.”

That would be one word.