We are not making progress in the leadership department here ...

Henry A. "Hank" Crumpton, the chief of the State Department's counterterrorism office and a key strategist in the war in Afghanistan, is leaving government in the new year.

His departure leaves another big hole at the State Department, which has been struggling to find a deputy secretary of state for six months. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also now looking for replacements for her departing counselor and undersecretary of state for economic affairs.

We are already short on good leaders, and the ones we did have are bailing on us for greener pastures (to fund the higher education of their children, among other things).