The buck stops there

In the end, it's a question of leadership. Will you lead or be led. Do you have real accountability, or do you shift it to others.

The test of leadership, viewed through these questions, leaves doubt about Pres. Bush and Sen. McCain's fitness to lead. Specifically, their insistance that Gen. Petraeus' judgment be followed without question or debate, does not strike me as leadership. A true leader asks the right questions of his subordinates, and as the leader, makes a decision for which he or she is held accountable. Just the opposite is happening in Iraq.

Time and time again, we hear Bush and McCain say that they are following the decisions of commanders 'on the ground.' You have never Bush or McCain say that they took the commanders advice and made a decision that was counter to the recommendation. A true leader wants a recommendation from subordinates, but has a broader view from which to make decisions.

The advice of one subordinate can't be the right decision every time or the subordinate becomes the defacto leader. When challenged about a decision, Bush and McCain always defer to Gen. Petraeus as the one who should be held accountable.

This week we experienced a refreshing change when Sen. Obama visited with Gen. Petraeus and emerged from the meeting with a different response. Obama said he appreciated the general's advice, but his decisions would be based on a broader set of inputs. Leadership. I'll take your advice, but the decision is mine.

This is important because the Pentagon and military establishments are notorious for pushing their bosses in directions that favor the military. You can't really blame them. If your boss asked you how you were doing your job and what you wanted to do next, I'm sure the answer would be somewhat favorable to you. It's human nature. That's why a true leader shouldn't make decisions based on a single source of information. Obama gets it, and the concept confounds Bush and McCain.

In their minds, Gen. Petraeus should be responsible for making all the decisions and that's the problem. The buck stops there.