I’m not clear if what Admiral Mike Mullen’s, “open letter to all those in uniform”, means, but it is a highly unusual step.

It could be exactly what it says, a statement that, “The U.S. military must remain apolitical at all times and in all ways….It is and must always be a neutral instrument of the state, no matter which party holds sway.”

It could be a slap at those Generals **cough** Petraeus **cough**, who have pimped themselves out to Bush and His Evil Minions^™ war, or it could be an attempt to de-legitimize the protests of retired military officers, or it could mean exactly what it says.

My guess is that it’s an attempt at damage control. I see it as a recognition that the politicization of the military in the past 7 years will have dire consequences if not kept in check during the presidential election.