I’ve always believed the highest praise you can bestow on a political operative is “that’s who I want in the trenches with me.” The person who not only has your back, but will stiffen everyone’s back; who has a command of both strategy and tactics; who, as Kipling said, keeps their head when all about are losing theirs.

Rahm Emanuel, for example.

The Democrats are in the trenches. Not losing our heads, but scratching them to the point of scar tissue. The punditry is the white fog of the battlefield, overwhelming us with confusing and contradictory information, analysis and data. Do we march left or right? Is our message democracy or the economy? Populism or 10-point policy plans?

Meanwhile, Donald Trump steamrolls across Washington, assembling a cabinet that seems, with some exceptions (Waltz, Stefanik, Rubio) a cast of characters blended from “The Manchurian Candidate,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Veep.” (My favorite reaction to the nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general came from Utah GOP Rep. Mike Simpson: “Are you shittin’ me?”)

Now the punditry turns to whom Democrats should choose as the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. The names are competent, worthy. But I’m partial to someone who has actually been deep in the battle-scarred trenches and led the way out.

I served with........

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