Keller @ Large: John Glenn Had Ideal Combination Of Political, Military Experience

BOSTON (CBS) – R.I.P former Senator John Glenn, the much-decorated Marine pilot who flew missions with Ted Williams and went on to join the very first group of US astronauts.

Colonel Glenn died yesterday at age 95, and many of you may be too young to remember just how much hero worship there was for those Mercury 7 astronauts. They were seen as our best and brightest, and Glenn was one of many who lived up to the hype.

John Glenn served four terms in the U.S. Senate, and while his 1986 bid for the Republican presidential nomination failed, his political success is a reminder that we have a long history of veterans going on to serve again at the highest levels of American politics.

Twenty-six of our presidents were veterans when they won, although not all saw military service.

Twelve of them, from our first president, George Washington, to Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s, were generals.

And all of a sudden, the question of military leaders assuming civilian power is current again with President-elect Trump's appointment of at least three former generals and maybe more to top positions.

I'm not a fan of the new national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn's habit of promoting vile internet conspiracy theories.

But Mad Dog Mattis, John Kelly, and possibly David Petraeus all strike me as well-qualified. And in general (no pun intended), the idea of appointing people with long experience overseeing complex operations and making life-or-death decisions seems like a good one.

There should always be a balance between military power and civilian control over it, and not all generals will make great government officials.

But we could do much, much worse than tapping this particular talent pool.

Listen to Jon's commentary: