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Why Did Barack Obama Screw General Zinni?

By Larry Johnson on February 5, 2009 at 12:25 PM in Current Affairs

Retired Marine Corps General Tony Zinni is a great American who has loyally served both Democrats and Republicans and someone in President Obama’s team vetoed naming Zinni as the new Ambassador to Iraq after he had been offered the job. Apparently some of the youngsters on the Obama team are fucking morons and are unfamiliar with Jim Croce, who penned the lyrics:

You don’t tug on superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jim Tony

Here’s what happened according to the intrepid Laura Rozen (love that woman):

“Jones had called me before the inauguration and asked if I would be willing to serve as ambassador to Iraq or in one of the envoy jobs, on the Middle East peace process,” Zinni told Foreign Policy. “I said yes.”

“Then two weeks ago, Jones called,” Zinni continued, “and said, ‘We talked to the secretary of state, and everybody would like to offer you the Iraq job.’ I said yes.

“The [vice]* president called and congratulated me,” Zinni said.

Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for a meeting last Monday night, Zinni said. He said he went to the meeting in her office at the State Department, where Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Williams Burns were also in attendance.

“She thanks me, asked me my views on Iraq,” Zinni recalled. “She said to Burns and Steinberg, ‘We’ve got to move quickly, Crocker is leaving, we’ve got to get someone in there and get the paperwork done and hearings… Lots to do to get ready to go.”

Zinni said he expected a call from Burns the next day. Not hearing from him, he called him.

“To make a long story short, I kept getting blown off all week,” Zinni said. “Meantime, I was rushing to put my personal things in order,” to get ready to go.

“Finally, nobody was telling me anything,” Zinni said. “I called Jones Monday several times. I finally got through late in evening. I asked Jones, ‘What’s going on?’ And Jones said, ‘We decided on Chris Hill.’”

“I said, ‘Really,’” Zinni recalled. “That was news to me.”

Jones asked him if he would like to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Zinni said. “I said, ‘You can stick that with whatever other offers,’” Zinni recalled, saying he had used more colorful language with Jones. Asked Jones’s response and if he was apologetic, Zinni said, “Jones was not too concerned. He laughed about it.”

Zinni said particularly galling is that had he not managed to get through to Jones on Monday night after repeated calls, he would have found out about the Chris Hill appointment in the Washington Post the next day with everybody else.

“You know, I would have appreciated if someone called me and said, ‘Minds were changed,’” Zinni said. “But not even to get a call. That’s what’s really embarrassing.”

It is clear that Hillary is not responsible for this mindless gaffe. If she had doubts or did not support Zinni she would not have had the meeting. Jones did not pull the plug either. He offered Zinni the job in the first place. Who was it in the Obama White House that is this incredibly stupid? Not only has President Obama embarrassed his National Security Advisor and his Secretary of State but he has purchased the enmity of an important General and diplomat.

If this was an isolated incident it would be one thing, but it is just another brick in the wall of incompetence that Obama is starting to erect.

Jon Stewart skewered the Obama team last night because they are looking like and talking like the Bush team. Who is in charge at the Obama White House?

  • Judy L. NC

    The answer to this is probably “duh”, but who is Jones?

    • James

      The National Security Adviser, General Jones.

    • Benjamin

      The new National Security Advisor.

    • Judy L. NC

      I knew the answer was “duh” but I just couldn’t think. . .

  • Arabella Trefoil

    Obama already looks as if he’s aged 5 years.

    • tek

      Arabella: I noticed that yesterday. He’s almost completely gray. That’s what comes from being in over your head.

      Jon Stewart dissing The One. It must be the end of the world!

      • Obama: Dubya II – Electric Boogaloo

        Wow. I didn’t know that John Stewart hated black people. Clearly he’s a KKK style racist…

        /snark

    • Winston

      The Picture of Dorian Gray is what happens when one becomes infatuated with oneself.

      • wodiej

        LMAO

        • Katmoon

          ROFL, perfect :)

      • Boxer Mum 06

        A picture in grey
        Dorian Gray
        Just me by the sea

        And I felt like a star
        I felt the world could go far
        If they listened
        To what I said

        I think he is waking up to the reality that he isn’t the star he thought he was and he’s way in over his head. No unicorns here in reality land and it’s just starting. How will he handle the pressures of dealing with international leaders that don’t think he is THE ONE?

    • andrew191

      His physical maturity is racing at warp speed ahead of his mental maturity. Mentally and emotionally he is still a child. He gave a speech this morning (he’s back on teleprompter) and his delivery and demeanor could best be described as petulent. It was a hissy fit. Soon he’ll be rolling metal balls in his hand and claim that we’re all after his strawberries.

      • andrew191

        Or should that be blackberry?

    • Animal Control

      He’s changed his makeup brand.

    • lark

      He’s acting as if he’s the boss of everybody now.

      • lark

        I should have said, again instead of now.

  • wodiej

    Well I can’t say I am suprised. This is the kind of crap that happens when you put someone in charge who has never held a real job, still thinks it’s cool to smoke, listens to Jay Z nasty rap, has a minister who says “God Damn Amerikka”, hangs out w terrorists and financial scammers and his main core of supporters are people on welfare who have also worked little in their lives and punks who are still living in the basement of mommy and daddy getting their backside kissed-also seen little of life’s reality.

    I’d like to know who made the decision and who was responsible for letting Zinni know they changed their mind.

  • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

    If I may share this, Larry and I talked briefly about this last night. I asked Larry about Chris Hill, who I’ve always thought was a sharp man and an able diplomat. I said to Larry, “I always see him on TV talking about Korea, etc.” Larry agreed that Hill is good, but said that Hill’s expertise is ASIA, not the Middle East. Good god almighty. Larry said that Hill doesn’t speak the language and doesn’t know the complexities of the cultures in Iraq — which Zinni does! Zinni spent considerable time in Iraq, knows the language and the culture, and what’s going on there! Hill will have to learn all of that from the bottom up! This is so damn dumb.

    • wodiej

      thanks Susan, there has to be some reason they did this other than who is the right person.

      • http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com/ obamastolemyboyfriend

        Yep, because if Obama had cared about the right person for a job, he would have dropped out of the primary.

        • Rob G in Chicago

          Zinni forgot who he is dealing with, Chicago politics on a national scale. He likely was not the high bidder for the position, and offered “only his appreciation.”

    • Idiocracy08

      It’s ok. According to BO’s campaign promises, we’ll be completely out of Iraq in just a matter of months.
      ;)

      • http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com/ obamastolemyboyfriend

        I’m still waiting for my pony! did you get yours?

        • FLDemFem

          The only part of the pony we are going to get is what comes out under the tail. Heh.

        • Idiocracy08

          Dog and pony show, maybe.

        • Lyn

          I’m still waiting to find out what to do so I don’t have to pay my Feb Mortgage. I didn’t mind paying Jan since he wasn’t in office until the end. but no way should I have to worry about paying Feb. Also where do we get the free gas and unicorns?

          • IndieDogg

            That is SO cool. Hey, keep the gas; I’ll just ride the unicorn. Awesome!!! I didn’t remember that part of the cornucopia of prizes and gifts we were promised but, so far, it’s my favorite.

            Hey, I’m sure if HE can snap his fingers (to a jazzy beat, no doubt) and fix the world, he can make a unicorn.

            Sweet.

            I’m out, going to sit by the mailbox and look for a large package with a hole in the top.

            Thanks for the heads (and horns) up!!

    • Karma

      Thanks for that added detail.

      Gen Zinn was one of the appointments I did like. The cheers when Obama announced the Gen said volumnes too. I haven’t heard any other announcement get such a response.

      So is someone trying to mess this up? I remember the Iraqi diplomat who claimed that Obama looked like he wanted the Iraq war to fail and wrap it around Bush’s neck.

      I was against the war before Bush was even selected. It was obvious then he was going back to the family business of Iraq. But millions of people’s lives can still get much worse if Obama is shooting for failure instead of a reasonable future for them.

    • Interested party

      Unfortunately its not clear who is responsible for this unfortunate decision. According to the Weekly Standard, Richard Holbrooke might be culprit behind the change.
      http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/02/some_speculation_on_zinni.asp
      As Holbrooke worked on the Clinton Campaign, Hillary is by inference, suspect in the goings-on.
      Whatever the case and no disrespect to Hill, Zunni would have been the better choice. Zunni has demonstrated he knows the region and is capable of taking an aggressive, principled stand. It also might be an indication of lack of coordination on the administration’s part. The question the Standard raises is Obama knowledgable about what’s going on; if so, does he really care or no matter what the case, is he too distracted by the economy to be involved?

      • http://bullmoosegal.blogspot.com bullmoosegal

        I could completely see Holbrooke being responsible. He’s long had a hard-on for silencing and stepping on Generals who speak their minds a little too forcefully. Remember how he treated Wesley Clark? Holbrooke even mocked him during a PBS special on the events in Sarajevo, saying that the General just couldn’t see what was really happening when he was screaming for help and reinforcements to prevent a massacre. He’s an arrogant pissant who is always convinced that he knows more than anyone else.

        • Interested party

          While Wes Clark would have been my first choice for a democratic nominee for president (sorry Hillary), I was disappointed with his endorsement of Obama and the subsequent snafu that developed.
          Richard Holbrooke’s history extends somewhat beyond politics or diplomacy (or lack thereof). He evidentially held influential positions with Lehman, AIG and a investment group called Perseus LLC (Holbrooke resigned his advisory position in 2008) One failed, was not bailed-out, the other failed and was, the third is still in business specializing in corporate buy-outs. Perseus LLC, by the way, is also home to James Johnson of Fannie-Mae fame, and less noted is a member of Goldman-Sachs board of directors.
          This from their (Perseus) web-site:

          Perseus, L.L.C. is a merchant bank and private equity fund management company headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an office in New York and an affiliate office in Munich. Since its inception in 1995, Perseus has invested in numerous buyout and growth equity transactions in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Perseus manages seven investment funds with capital commitments totaling approximately $2.0 billion. In addition, Perseus co-manages a $449 million fund that invests exclusively in life sciences companies.

          That life science company is “PERSEUS-SOROS BIOPHARMACEUTICAL FUND, L.P”. Perseus also seems to be involved in pharmaceuticals.

          How much Holbrooke’s involvement with Perseus LLC, et.al. and the democratic party will influence policy making is speculation. Another point stands out; the administration does seem to top-heavy with Goldman-S associations though, either direct or indirect.

          • Interested party

            And…my apologies to the General for misspelling his name.

      • Gary McGowan

        It certainly is a plausible sounding story, but that’s the business of The Weekly Standard, edited by William Kristol, no?

        This little story’s source is what? “A conversation with a Republican.”

        Well, a friend of my neighbor’s sister has disclosed that the editor (on leave) of the Wkly Std who authored the above piece is a man who’s intentions are not to be trusted.

        • Interested party

          The Weekly Standard’s source is evidently the Washington Times, sometimes refer to as Mooney Times.

          • Gary McGowan

            Laura Rozen’s work (quoted up top by Larry) stands as far superior to either of theirs.

            The Wkly Std begins with

            I just had a conversation with one Republican who speculated that Richard Holbrooke may have been at the center…

            The Wash Times doesn’t mention Holbrooke, nor tie in Secretary of State Clinton with The Wkly Std’s,

            interceded on behalf of his protege, Chris Hill, urging Clinton to reserve the Iraq post for someone who had spent a career in the foreign service.

            (my emph.)

            Not that I’m a fan of moonie stuff.

            • Interested party

              Yes, I suspected as much. I recheck the article in the W. Times and Richard Holbrooke is not mentioned, although if it was, in its present form it would still be only a rumor. In my view, the speculation on Holbrooke is “plausible” although that Hillary made the call (or any call) based on that supposition is unsupported.

              On another topic, I see no indication from Rozen’s article that HRC actually offered the job to Zinni, only that a decision needed to be made quickly. Jones appears to be the source of the offer after claiming prior discussion with the SOS, before the meeting with Hillary’s requested meeting was setup. Am I wrong?

              • Gary McGowan

                Like Larry says up top (my emph.):

                It is clear that Hillary is not responsible for this mindless gaffe. If she had doubts or did not support Zinni she would not have had the meeting. Jones did not pull the plug either. He offered Zinni the job in the first place. Who was it in the Obama White House that is this incredibly stupid? Not only has President Obama embarrassed his National Security Advisor and his Secretary of State but he has purchased the enmity of an important General and diplomat.

                Rozen did say:

                Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for a meeting last Monday night, Zinni said. He said he went to the meeting in her office at the State Department, where Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Williams Burns were also in attendance.

                “She thanks me, asked me my views on Iraq,” Zinni recalled. “She said to Burns and Steinberg, ‘We’ve got to move quickly, Crocker is leaving, we’ve got to get someone in there and get the paperwork done and hearings… Lots to do to get ready to go.”

                Zinni said he expected a call from Burns the next day. …

    • Elizabeth

      According to his official State Department biography, Hill’s career has been largely focused on Europe. He was ambassador to South Korea, Poland and Macedonia, special envoy to Kosovo and played a strong role in negotiating the Dayton accords to a peace settlement for Bosnia in the 1990s.

      Maybe Obama is counting on a fresh perspective to examine, observe and learn what is really going on in the Middle East before getting deeply involved in analysis and decision making. I only hope events will allow that luxury.

      • http://ksclematis ksclematis

        Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark was one of the negotiatiors and authors of the Dayton Accord, along with Holbrooke. He got thrown under the bus because of his TRUE remark on Face The Nation regarding John McCain. I think it is a travesty of justice that he didn’t get a high appointment in this administration. He has a lot of intellect and experience in a number of topics that could have been a boon for the Obama administration.

        When BO chose Hillary for SOS, I was of the understanding that she was to choose her assistants. Doesn’t appear that is happening.

        The Dems are screwing themselves up again. I’ve been a lifelong Democrat, and will remain so, even if I don’t vote for their candidates. We worked damn hard for Hillary, and Wes Clark before her. I hope Hillary holds O’s feet to the fire in the State Dept, but sooner or later she’ll get screwed, too.

    • Peggy Sue

      Thanks for that side information, Susan. I hadn’t read that before and probably wouldn’t have read it except here.

      Which is why I keep coming back :0).

  • tek

    OT: I see he just screwed the Democratic voters over again. For 8 years every Democrat I know has been complaining about our tax dollars going to fund huge church compounds and god knows what else. Why should people get my hard earned money just because they’re religious? But he just announced he’s expanding the Faith Based Initiative. The ‘bots will have some excuse for it.

    • Wisewoman

      Tek. I know what you mean. I am an AA female who supports and have always supported Hillary instead of the Fraud. I want people to know from my personal experience that this Church-based inititive is mostly a scam. I was renting a building from a realty company for my business, a Daiquiri Shop serving daiquiris, liquor, and food with decent entertainment. A black church with a membership of less than 500 was able to purchase this medium sized mall that had housed a large grocery store, an older Walmart building which at that time housed a Big Lot store, a movie theater building, a liquor store, an old International pancake house bldg, and the old Pizza Hut where my business was located. The property was sold to the church at a rumored price of 5 million dollars. All of us had to vacant our businesses when our old lease expired and we were all out of business. I was the last one out and had to close my successful business Oct 1, 2006. According to the local news, the church was supposed to build a community center, medical facilities, etc. It is now Feb. 2009 and all the property looks like it did the day the previous renters left it. THIS SH*T IS A SCAM OF THE TXPAYERS MONEY. This is Obama’s way of paying back black ministers and churches for thier support, and white churches to keep quiet about his agenda to be able to slop at the hog trough, too. It is truly disgusting!!

    • http://www.partizane.com catfish

      He expanded the Faith Based stuff, and appointed a 26-YEAR-OLD PENTACOASTAL MINISTER to run it.

  • Solara 7

    Elect a rookie and what do you get? The excellent team (and I mean that truly–no snark) at getting him elected is all about marketing and branding. But the United States isn’t a box of soap. I was afraid of this.

  • beebop

    Jon Stewart still hopes there is change. Silly putz.

    • Ani

      I used to be a big fan of Jon Stewart’s but he really blew it on this one. This man is far too sharp, I would have thought, to be taken in by silly marketing with no substance.

      Oh, well, guess again.

      • Ellen D

        Jon Stewart tried a couple of mild pokes at Obama during the campaign and his audience booed him. He got the message and played along after that. But he doesn’t have any problem now that Obama is so publicly screwing up.

        • beebop

          Where I come from, Jon is a huge hyopcrit. He had no problem telling truth to liars on FOX (or was it CNN?)… he gets paid for this show. He owes the integrity to his viewers or else, like Oprahmama and the rest of the cabale crowd, he will find himself without viewers.

  • tek

    I would say that I might have to start watching Stewart again, except Stewart is one of the chief guys who got Obie into the WH.

    Hillary must be laughing all the way to the State Department everyday.

  • I’m a Linda too

    How terribly low and embarrasing. THis is Obama’s new style of governing? Anyone have a spare shoe?

    • I’m a Linda too

      btw, was this one of the IMPORTANT decisions that Joe Biden was included on?

      • http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com/ obamastolemyboyfriend

        Joe was probably drunk and signed the wrong paper.

        • I’m a Linda too

          lol

  • TeakWoodKite

    I am very saddened to hear that Zinni got dis-respected. If Jones and the SOS are taking marching orders from the POTUS then it is one more example of what BO is lacking. A moral Compass.

    LJ, I hope ya don’t get whiplash from this POTUS.

    How many “I screwed up” will it take to go from a “breath of Fresh air” to the smell down wind of the manure spreader?

    • Rob G in Chicago

      It also sounds like Hillary may have been “gamed”, as one of her conditions for accepting the S.O.S. offer was that she would be able to assemble her own team with minimal interference, so it looks like she’s been “gamed” into trusting three presidents in a row.

      • elise

        Excuse me Rob, but an ambassadorship is not chosen by SoS, ever. It was pointed out not long ago how these appointments are made as gifts or pay to play.

  • Docelder

    So young urban kids are going to go around “weatherizing” houses? That’s going to be the first wave of “trickle up”? that will restore the economy and reduce dependence on foreign oil? Really? I have an idea then… equip them with air tanks… and have them go around checking the air in everybody’s car tires. While we are at it… let’s dress them all alike and make a kind of “hopey-changey” civilian task force. I wish I could take this guy more seriously. What we need are “real” jobs… not one time government “busy work” projects. But there is the problem… government can only create these type of “busy work” jobs. Permanent jobs and job security don’t come from the government.

    • lark

      government can only create these type of “busy work” jobs. Permanent jobs and job security don’t come from the government.

      How much the busy work helped Cuba?

      Mel Martinez who when his constituents call him do not answer his phone anymore should be the poster spokesman against this stimulus package. And what’s he doing? He is attending negotiations.

      He came to this country as a refugee when he was 16 as part of 14 thousand children being relocated from Cuba to the U.S.

      Why did 14,000 children had to be relocated? Did those 14,000 children had anything to do with the Batista administration and others before that and with Castro’s takeover of the country? NO. Why?

      Because the events that led to that started in Cuba many years before with the corruption led by the way Spaniards and Nationalist used to believe that their country required in order to be governed.

      Today, we are setting up a reversal. Today we are setting up the foundation for when 28,000 will be shipped to Cuba fleeing the collapse of the American way of life. Why? Because of the corruption that is being implanted by our new President. How?

      Look at today. An angry Obama talking down to our Senators requiring them to tow HIS line. His Vice President. His Cabinet. His Senators. Soon we will be HIS people and he will be angry with us too. Angry enough to makes us go to the State Department offices and register to work in the jobs that the Labor Secretary will assign us.

      Mel Martinez, what a disappointment he is. What a sell out for the children of our country.

    • Arabella Trefoil

      Is that the program that includes stripping all the copper pipes out of the houses? We have that program going already here in New York.

      • wodiej

        Ah yes, they are doing that in Indiana as well. One church was a target. Nice huh?

        • Arabella Trefoil

          Stripping copper pipes out of homes and churches not only provides employment opportunity, it takes advantage of recycling. So it’s Green Jobs all the way!

    • Karma

      Exactly, ‘busy work’. He got a little surly over it too…that they questioned The One.

      And what about the companies that do that now? Why do they have to compete for jobs with the govt funding the unexperienced?

      Unskilled workers putting in windows, etc. Naw can’t see anything that might go wrong with that plan. Mold…water damage.

      And whenever I hear Obama talking about construction of any sort Rezko schemes come to mind.

      Speaking of schemes. Is the mob still in the window skimming business? I remember lot of news stories about that years ago.

      • Arabella Trefoil

        I’m still laughing at Obama painting the inside of a house while wearing his white shirt and tie on. He handled the paint roller as though he was scared of it.

        He can’t even act like Joe Schmoe for a photo op.

        • Karma

          LOL!

    • wodiej

      well that would create jobs in china for textiles, they would be making brown shirts like crazy….

    • oowawa

      So young urban kids are going to go around “weatherizing” houses?

      I suggest a national campaign of painting house numbers on curbs. This is done automatically for every house. A couple of days later the collection committee comes calling, consisting of 3 strapping young lads, asking for a donation, “whatever seems proper to you.” One third of the proceeds go to the US treasury, one third to the painters/collectors, and one third to, I don’t know, ACORN or some other worthy cause.

  • Sassy

    Sounds as if the General followed military tradition in “cussing a blue streak”. Good for him!
    My first suspect in the White House would be the new Chief of Staff…they probably want to continue the anti-war theme!

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  • andrew191

    I wouldn’t be at all surprised if at some point in time, Zinni said something critical about Obama. If Obama got wind of something like that, well, you do the math.

  • TeakWoodKite

    This the change BO has planned? I love the way ” A senior administration official” is used here for the CYA. 4 years of CYA is what’s coming.

    A senior administration official said, “We have spoken to a number of extraordinarily talented individuals about serving in this important role, and have made no announcement about who will be the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. Obviously, the President has enormous respect for General Zinni and believes he would be on anybody’s short list for a number of critical national security roles.”

    • Lyn

      Another short list? sounds like the same BS he used to say about Hillary and the VP spot.

  • tango

    What happened to that organized and disciplined staff that got Obama elected? All these silly, unprofessional and careless mistakes are not doing Obama any good right now.

    I thought Stewart was funny. Loved the new press corps book “He’s just not that interested in answering you”. Snerk. I wonder if that will be made into a movie too.

    • http://www.hillaryorbust.com Hillary or Bust

      “What happened to that organized and disciplined staff that got Obama elected?”

      I don’t think they were as disciplined and as organized as it appears. Had it not been for the wave of anti-Bush backlash and Obama’s “historic” bid he probably wouldn’t have been elected. There’s probably a lot that happened on the campaign trail that got swept under the rug with the Obamamania.

  • mountainaires

    Okay, I’ll bite. Maybe I’m under-informed about how this works, so Larry, could you please advise on how the process works?

    How is it at all “clear” that Hillary Clinton had nothing to do with this?

    Jones called Zinnie BEFORE the inauguration, which means before Clinton was sworn in as Sec/State.

    But, now, Clinton IS the Sec/State, right? She would be the one to determine whether or not Zinni had the job as ambassador. Or does the White House select all ambassadors?

    If Clinton didn’t want Zinni, why did she not call him and tell him so; why was it left to Jones?

    My question is, who really made this decision to discard Zinni? How do we know it was someone in the White House?

    • Ani

      Hillary works for the POTUS — he can make these decisions at will.

      • mountainaires

        Oops, posted below then saw your response, Ani. Thanks for your response. :-)

    • mountainaires

      What a goatrope. Obama is starting to scare me….

      [nevermind my earlier questions, I've gotten the big picture now]

      Some Speculation on Zinni…

      I just had a conversation with one Republican who speculated that Richard Holbrooke may have been at the center of the current mess over who will serve as U.S. ambassador in Iraq. According to the scenario he laid out, despite Jones having offered the job to Zinni — an offer from one retired four-star to another — and Clinton having confirmed the offer, Holbrooke interceded on behalf of his protege, Chris Hill, urging Clinton to reserve the Iraq post for someone who had spent a career in the foreign service.

      http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/02/some_speculation_on_zinni.asp

      A former senior official familiar with the case said the matter appears to have been handled disastrously. However, he thought it might have been problematic for the Obama administration to name Zinni, a retired general, as Iraq ambassador, since they have also reportedly decided to name another general, Karl Eikenberry, as ambassador to Afghanistan.

      http://www.military.com/news/article/zinni-says-iraqi-post-offered-pulled.html

      http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/05/disrespecting-zinni/

      • elise

        Richard Holbrook is special envoy to Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. Why would he have any say about what happens in the Middle East? Furthermore, why would he have any influence at all in Obama’s White House?

    • IndyPUMA

      I’m sure our beloved Hillary has a say, however, I’m more sure that anyone working in or around the WH has to be run through the Super Clean Ethics Vetting Combine process (with mixed results thus far) that the Prez has set up. So at the end of it all… I believe that the WH trumps anything Sec Clinton can do… fair or not.

      • d2d

        Ya know, I’m as a big of a fan of Hillary’s as many on this board are. I find it inexcusable that Zinni was put off like he was. This is a man who served this country with distinction and deserves a friggin returned phone call!

        Hillary’s in charge of the State Department period. She should have made the call OR delegated it to the appropriate party within state.

        What is more disturbing to me is how Holbrooke is trumping her. Who is really in charge at state?

        • oowawa

          Whether or not Hillary is to blame for this debacle, it is her responsibility to shut up and take the bullet. Now it’s time to find out whether or not she can really be a team player. We’ll see if she can really take her role as designated lightning-rod seriously.

        • Andy

          The ultimate say on Zini was the WH and POTUS, not of HRC the SoS.
          Remember she hold the meeting and traveled overseas under the assumption Zini was in. Whoever overturned this should have let Zini know. The appointment ultimately is the Pres.’s.

        • Andy

          The ultimate say on Zini was the WH and POTUS, not of HRC the SoS.
          Remember she held the meeting and traveled overseas under the assumption Zini was in. Whoever overturned this should have let Zini know. The appointment ultimately is the Pres.’s.

        • elise

          Are you serious,d2d? The president appoints ambassadors. So now you think Hillary is running the whole show (if only it were true)? Holbrook isn’t even envolved in the ME.

    • FLDemFem

      Ambassadors are appointed by the President. The staffing of the embassies is up to the State Department, starting with the Charge d’Affair(#2 in the embassy)and down the list. The ambassadorships are often given as rewards for political support, campaign support, etc. Few ambassadors are professional diplomats, sad to say.

  • lark

    I heard PITO talk at the Energy Dept. and I have one thing to ask, what job has PITO assigned me to do so that I can go and with my mouth shut, do it?

  • Baba Rum Raisin

    Sigh. We TOLD you this clown could $%^& up an anvil. Did the Sheeple listen?
    Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • JudyR

    I have a closet full of shoes and it’s time I was thinning them out! Larry, you are, as usual, right on the mark with your commentary. Thanks!

  • Mandelay

    Maybe Zinni’s connections to Dyncorp (reported in the Rozen article at Larry’s link), a defense contractor with “hundreds of millions” of business in Iraq gave the administration a sudden case of acito. According to Rozen’s article, Zinni was the company’s exec v.p. until the end of ’08. Perhaps the administration has become gun shy given the boneheaded cabinet appointments of recent weeks and was scared of another “conflict of interest” charge? But where’s the “vetting process”? This country spent millions investigating Hillary Clinton but when it comes to choosing a special envoy to represent us in one of the world’s hot spots, we can’t even look at his last job before offering him a new one? I wonder if there are some underlings at State who are there to make sure Hillary suffers an embarrassment now and again to keep her in line.

    • mountainaires

      Amen, Mandelay. Speculation in right-wing circles is that it was Hillary and Holbrooke who made the decision, that it was Clinton who was undercutting Obama, but it looks like it was more the OTHER WAY AROUND.

      What a complete failure to handle this with any sense of respect or decorum. I don’t blame Zinni for being insulted and angry. And, getting an ambassador who doesn’t know the culture, speak any of the languages?

      Wow…that’s incredibly incompetent. I’d say we probably need Hill in Korea these days anyway, if that’s his area of expertise. There are tensions.

  • mel

    The frustration of this entire set of events is pretty sad when looking from inside the box, but take a moment and look at it from outside the box!

    For the most part, the middle east has nothing but distain for the US, tired of having US crap shoved down its throats as the Presdient f Iran stated last week.

    Now it was known for weeks that Gen Zinni was the selected replacement Amb. to Iraq, a man with knowledge of the region, the culture and language, thus showing the middle east that the US was not going to scip a beat in its diplomatic workings there and that could speed up unresolved problems with a new US admin.

    Now the middle east finds out that a change has occurred (with no disrespect to Hill as a diplomat) and the claimed Prez of change and resolve of conflict is putting in a putz Asian trained and experienced diplomat who has no experience at all in middle east affairs.

    Looking from a middle east perspective, this is a major sign to the anti-American factions in the middle east that the supposed new US administration feels they can shove any diplomat into the region without any concerns what so ever about the complexities of the region, thus telling the middle east that the US doesn’t give a sh*t about the region, just about waving its own powers to be down the throats of the middle east people as though the middle easts concerns and strifes are meaningless!

    This is like sending in a plumber to redo the electrical system in a skyscrapper, real dumb!

    • Docelder

      I think you are right… reading between the lines here leaves a lot to be desired. It may also suggest, that we don’t want a “real” dialog with them… rightly or wrongly… just an “appearance” of a dialog to the rest of the world.

  • Ellen D

    No matter who made the decision it was cowardly of Jones not to contact Zinni right away. The decision was problematic but Jones handled it really badly. Is this because they both were generals and there is something in their past between them? I can’t believe Jones wouldn’t apologize but would laugh about it. If I weren’t a lady I’d call him an expletive deleted.

  • tango

    Well more tax misteps. It’s just getting ridiculous.

    Hilda Solis’ husband just (as in yesterday) paid the $4600 in back tax liens on his business from 16 years ago.

    The only positive thing I can say about it is, oh boy, Obama is turning out to be a whiz bang one man deliquent tax collector.

    • tango

      Ok, let me correct my post. He paid off 15 different tax liens going as far back as 16 years.

  • It’s Not Me

    BO probably did it it just to let Ms. Hillary know who the REAL man boss is. What a putz/schmuck/asshole. Who’s Chris Hill? I’ve never heard of him. Does he know squat about Iraq?

  • It’s Not Me

    BO probably did it it just to let Ms. Hillary know who the REAL man boss is. What a putz/schmuck/asshole. Who’s Chris Hill? I’ve never heard of him. Does he know anything about Iraq?

  • The Real HC

    Weatherize? What?

    I am not surprised with the Zinni debacle, its amateur hour at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

    Just wait until Iran figures out how to crazy glue nukes to their new rockets and the real fun starts.

    Why oh why could the democrats not have selected Hillary?

    • allimom99

      I always liked what I saw of Gen Zinni, and his treatment was just inexcusable. I’d hope someone will reach out to him and clear the air. He deserves better.

    • Peggy Sue

      Because my former party had a mind-meld with the Obamatrons.

      Morons! And now we’ll all pay the price.

  • Judy

    My, My, My, did we not predict this mess????

  • elise

    Correction: “involved”

  • ripalinsky

    I’ll bet Obama HAS aged 5 years. How would you like to be in his position (and clueless like him)? Iraq is a very unique situation where the new administration needs to produce failure and blame it on the old administration. Very tricky.
    BTW I was surprised by the treatment of Saul Alinsky on your radio program this week. I would invite you to a more realistic treatment of Alinsky: http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr02-05-09.html

  • pitbullstew

    well, they do serve at the pleasure of the president after all, and if its his pleasure to screw you out of the job too?
    can you spell rham emanuel?