I really recommend Bob Woodward's new book, Obama's Wars. I liked all his books on the the Bush wars and he continues to have incredible access and the ability to convey how complex and tough this stuff is.

I have a much greater respect for Obama in this area, and a much better understanding of some of the issues involved. I think the knee-jerk Obama bashers and Code Pink goonies would do well to read the Bush books and this one, to see how similar the process, and the challenges are, how different the mind-set of the President in the two cases, and how similar are some of the conclusions and decisions, based on the awesome responsibility and the realities of national security considerations.

This does assuage some of my fears about Obama in the White House in terms of national security as well as contribute to my growing respect for Hillary and Biden.

I don't feel I have a sophisticated enough understanding of economic issues to have passionate opinions about that (though similar limitations don't seem to deter most of my fellow citizens) and I have an instinctive libertarian bent, but I take national security pretty seriously as the sine qua non of successful national leadership in the executive branch and Woodward seems to present this stuff about as well as anyone. Would have loved to have him as a fly on the wall in the 60s. From what little I know about the spooky 80s his book Veil is a classic (certainly in regard to Casey).

(This latest book also gives some interesting context to the announcement today that Jones was being replaced by Donilon as National Security Advisor. )