In a move that signifies a marked break from the outgoing administration, President-Elect Obama has tapped General Eric K. Shinseki to head the Department of Veteran Affairs. Gen. Shinseki openly criticized the Bush Administration's postwar strategy in Iraq, publicly clashing with then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over how many US troops would be needed to occupy the country. In the years following the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent "surge," it has been generally accepted that Gen Shinseki was right, though he allowed himself to fade out of public view and retired from the Army. Shinseki is the first Asian American four-star general. For more read the full New York Times story.