OP-ED: "Somebody Else's Mess," by Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times, 16 September 2007, p. WK10.

Bush's "tacit resignation," as Friedman puts it, seals an early post-presidency that I've been describing since Katrina. It remains a stunning end to this presidency, assuming Bush doesn't decide to climb back into office via Condi on Israel and Palestine or a heading-out-the-door military campaign on Iran.

Friedman quotes David Rothkopf on the best take I've yet seen on Petraeus' amazing and weird week in DC:

"In one fell swoop George Bush abdicated to Petraeus, Maliki and the Democrats," said David Rothkopf, visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment, referring to Gen. David Petraeus and the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki. "Bush left it to Petraeus to handle the war, Maliki to handle our timetable and therefore our checkbook, and the Democrats to ultimately figure out how to end this."

Game, set and match to Rothkopf on analysis.

Friedman's final nail?

The sad thing for the American people is that we have no commander in chief anymore, framing our real situation and options.

As I consider Iran to be next on deck, the interesting question then becomes, "And what of Fox Fallon?"

Gossip has it that he and Petraeus clash over Petraeus's push to extend the surge. No surprise there, as it ties Fallon's hands just as he steps into our military's most important combatant command. I wouldn't want my career-capping moment to be OBE on the basis of a subordinate's decision either, especially as I'm staring at possible strikes against Iran, the success of which may mark my entire tenure in command.

If Bush is truly backing out of office, what is Fallon's crucial role on Iran, given the surge tie-down in Iraq?

Fallon was famous at PACOM for standing up to Rummy on mil-mil contacts with the Chinese. No doubt he's now behind calls for confidence-building measures with Iran's Revolutionary Guards (Fallon simply wants to keep his options wide open and to do that he needs comm venues with the RGs, otherwise he's potentially flying blind during crises).

So if Bush passes the baton to Petraeus on Iraq, what's Fallon's leeway on Iran, I wonder.