My portrait in miniature of Meghan O'Sullivan, whose choice for the list (influential people of the unfolding century) struck me as weak at first, but I grew to appreciate her a lot more in studying her role in the surge (even more so, ex post facto, reading Woodward's War Within).

Expect her to surface in a McCain administration.

My 14th piece for Esquire (in terms of written order), and my shortest.