Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Warns Troops to Stay out of Politics

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.