Tears for Mad Dog Mattis

OK, so you're Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and you know you got the job because you have a cool nickname and because the president* is something of a child about such matters, and you're wrestling with the issue of allowing transgender individuals to serve in the armed forces of the United States. You have negotiated a six-month delay in the implementation of a policy that would allow this, in order to study its possible effects. Then, on Wednesday via CNN, you wake up and discover that the president* has applied his unique approach to being a bull in your particular china shop.

A series of tweets.

That's the way your commander-in-chief makes policy these days. The top of the chain of command is missing a few links.

[...]

The official response from the Pentagon to the series of tweets seems to be, "Eh? Whut?"

"We will continue to work closely with the White House to address the new guidance provided by the Commander-in-Chief on transgender individuals serving the military," said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis. "We will provide revised guidance to the Department in the near future."

And, in any case, he can't simply change actual policy on his iPhone.

  Charles P Pierce

I wish I were confident in that assessment.

Now we're going to have a really messy public squabble on an issue that seemed to be moving forward fairly smoothly while in the hands of people who actually know what they're talking about. [...] I think I speak for a great number of Americans, in and out of government when I say: One normal day. Is that too much to ask?

It seems that way.

 ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE:  (h/t Emptywheel)

UPDATE: