Speaking truth to power -- for real

Someone in the Pentagon has apparently kept his testicles about him. There aren't many in the Beltway who have the true courage to speak truth to power -- power in this instance being Sen. Hillary Clinton.

In a stinging rebuke to a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman responded to questions Clinton raised in May in which she urged the Pentagon to start planning now for the withdrawal of American forces.

A copy of Edelman's response, dated July 16, was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

"Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia," Edelman wrote.

He added that "such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking to assume enormous personal risks."

Ooh, low blow -- pointing out to Mrs. Clinton that her political posturing might cost real people their real lives. Kudos to Mr. Edelman.