Petraeus Confirmed By Senate as Commander in Afghanistan, 99-0

Smell that? Smells like redemption:

Gen. David H. Petraeus was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Wednesday as the new Afghan war commander, replacing ousted Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who was dismissed by President Obama after publication of a magazine article in which McChrystal and his aides were quoted making insubordinate remarks.

The Senate vote followed a hearing Tuesday in which members of the Senate Armed Services Committee praised Petraeus's leadership of the war in Iraq and lauded him as the nation's premier warrior-diplomat.

Of course, that's just political redemption, which is rather unimportant stuff when compared with the hard work ahead of the general. Nonetheless, in Washington, it's good to see a good man lauded with good reason.

Interesting tidbit, if only because of the timing: The late Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia was one of only two senators to vote against Petraeus' appointment to CENTCOM in 2008, joining Tom Harkin.