The frustrating silence of John Kelly

 I am sorry that the death of John Kelly's son has become a political issue, but I am not sympathetic to this: 

But Mr. Kelly, who served for more than 40 years in the Marines, has told associates that a retired four-star general should not come out against a sitting president in the heat of a political campaign, even though former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, another retired four-star Marine general, publicly criticized Mr. Trump in June for lacking “mature leadership” and trying to divide rather than unite the country.

“He wants to avoid taking a position that might be perceived as political,” said Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, a retired four-star Marine Corps general and a close friend of Mr. Kelly, who had not spoken to him since the publication of the Atlantic article. “I also think he takes to heart the commitment to confidentiality in matters related to their interaction with the president.”

I don't buy it.

If Kelly wanted to preserve his neutrality as a former four-star general he shouldn't have taken on the political roles of Secretary of Homeland Security and chief of staff to this president. He chose to enter the realm of politics. His asserting of military neutrality is a bit late, then, and only works to obscure the deficiencies of the president. It's an excuse -- one that serves Trump, not the American people.