I was commissioned as a Navy Officer in 1980, and was active duty for about five years. As a Naval Reserve Officer for the next ten years, I was a senior officer (CDR/05) by 1994 (14 years, pretty quick, by Navy standards). I was selected to my second (reserve) Command about the time Clinton took office. Because my business took me across country from California to the East Coast, and because my unit was newly commissioned, and the entire program was ramping up, I spent about 4-5 months in Washington at my own expense, while my XO ("Executive Officer") managed the unit back in California.
During several "orientations" (some for newly appointed C.O.'s, and some related to my professional field), the "guest speaker" was a recent Clinton Administration political appointee (Deputy SECDEF, Deputy SECNAV, etc.). It was clear to me that a new game plan was afoot. The Clintonistas were blatantly politicizing the military. Future promotions, future "billets (jobs) of increasing responsibility", and the military career of mid-level and senior officers would depend upon signing on to the Clinton game plan (i.e. social, and otherwise, e.g. "rightsizing", acceptance of gays and women in combat units, promoting an "appropriate" world view to the troops).
To be honest, over 15 years I'd achieved all I ever wanted to achieve as a Navy Officer, there weren't a great number of billet's I aspired to, and everything from that point on would have taken me from shipboard or the field (SEABEE, Expeditionary units, etc.) where the "action" was. Jobs for a "senior" Navy Reserve officer in my specialty were pretty "worthless" from that point on, so I was probably heading out the door in any case.
However, after a half dozen political propaganda lectures, and when I saw officers known to be "left-of-center" politically being selected for Command and other opportunities of influence over clearly more experienced and qualified officers, I could tell which way the wind was blowing. It was a good time to leave, and I now had a good reason to bail out.
Bottom line: A lot of the guys who are now General and Flag officers in the U.S. Military were "political commissars" whose careers were advanced by leftist Democrats in the Clinton Administration (and in Congress). They ascended in rank, position, and experience because they played ball during 1993-2000. They're still on active duty, and in positions of significant influence and responsibility. The Clinton's had 8 years to recreate the Officer's corps in their own image. "Tailhook" was all about expunging "warrior" officers who wouldn't play ball, and making examples of them that their peers would clearly understand.
The U.S. Military is good, and do not doubt that I have a lot of respect for our guys - our warriors currently on active duty. But there are still a whole bunch of Pentagon queens in place out there; the military establishment in Washington is very probably, still a politicized animal. Our best officers today are the 01-04 (2nd LT to Major, or Ensign to LT CMDR for the Navy). The "kids" who came onto active duty in 1998-2005 are fighting this war, and doing a spectacular job.
SFS
With a single glowing exception, your recitation of the Pentagon game played by upwardly mobile, ambitious young and mid-level officers. The sole exception is the comment on ''Left of center'' officers receiving better assignments because of what you perceived as their political orientation. While that may be your subjective evaluation, objectively, it is not a correct assessment.