Zinni’s Obama Drama
04 February 2009 1:50 pm by Taylor Marsh
–updated–
The Washington Times is reporting that President Obama green lighted the appointment of Anthony Zinni to be ambassador to Iraq, then pulled it. They’ve even got a quote from Zinni.
“I started making arrangements,” Gen. Zinni said, but became concerned because he heard nothing further from the State Department or White House. He called Gen. Jones Monday night and was told that Christopher Hill, the outgoing assistant secretary of State for East Asia, was getting the job.
Gen. Zinni said no explanation was given. “That kind of bothered me,” he said. “I was told that I had it.” [...]
With Zinni on record, the story gets legs. So what happened after Secretary Clinton offered Zinni the job? At the very least there was a communications glitch between Obama and Clinton at State.
The Weekly Standard was quick to jump:
… Those with less faith in the president’s managerial abilities expected instead that that Clinton and her camp would be a constant source of trouble for Obama, and a constant source of leaks for the press. The fact that Zinni, whose name was floated as a possible Obama VP and who claims he was offered the job by Clinton herself, would be treated like this seems to suggest that the fighting between State and the White House has already begun. And if Clinton can’t even hand out ambassadorship’s without Obama cutting her legs out from under her — it’s going to be a very bumpy ride.
No comment so far from State on the matter.
It’s at this point we ask, what the hell is going on with the senior honchos of the Obama administration? You don’t jerk someone like former Gen. Anthony Zinni around.
UPDATE: Laura Rozen has the bottom line. Zinni unloaded on Obama’s team and how he was treated.
A former senior official familiar with the case said the matter appears to have been handled disastrously.
This is bad form regardless.
Uugh – is there any good news today?
Maybe Zinni had tax problems…
The clock is fixed – yay!
Someone better come out and fix this pretty quick otherwise this will be characterized as conflict between State and the WH and all those Hillary-haters will be waiting to say “I told you so.” This is not good at all.
nancy50 says:
04 February 2009 at 2:11 pm
Yeah, Lorie’s been knocking on that door for a couple of days. They finally responded.
That’s why I added the quote from TWS, JA. It’s like clockwork.
Taylor – correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember Bill Clinton, after running what was a great campaign, seemed to have some stumbling moments. I can only hope that this is a case of getting their wires crossed but I think it’s highly insulting to General Zinni.
Okay…. I’m back but just for a minute~ Ha! I think they are overwhelmed with the economy and dropping the ball in other areas. The thing is, Hillary knows what shape we are in as a country and she will NOT get in any fights with Obama, no matter how the village idiots want to play it.
If you want to cheer up try to catch the First Lady’s speech to HUD today. Fabulous!
Taylor~ Your new site is awesome! So much easier to use!
This “story” is showing up at exactly three news outlets (all suspect) why is that? I’m skeptical.
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Did Tony Zinni Think He Was Going To Be The Next Iraq Ambassador?
The Washington Independent, DC – 4 hours ago
Washington Times
Obama backs out on Iraq appointment
Washington Times, DC – 19 hours ago
Surprise! Drama (and Chaos) at State
The Weekly Standard – 3 hours ago
I’m wondering if someone is trying ferment the conflict. I can’t find it anyplace else.
I don’t know, GeoT. The quote from Zinni proves something went south. It’s a direct quote.
LL, Michelle gave a great speech. Very uplifting.
Now why in the world would Obama cut off Hillary’s legs. I just don’t believe it. And don’t understand what happened with Zinni. I guess when Gibbs briefs everyone today someone will probably ask him and maybe we’ll find out.
I knew it, the misogynists!
Tom Ricks picks it up:
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/node/15646
Taylor Marsh says:
04 February 2009 at 2:44 pm
I don’t know, GeoT. The quote from Zinni proves something went south. It’s a direct quote.
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the citation is incomplete, they don’t say who he gave the quote to and when it was given which is SOP.
I did check the author though, Barbara Slavin, and she has the requisite credentials.
Taylor Marsh says:
04 February 2009 at 2:49 pm
Tom Ricks picks it up:
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/node/15646
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so far everything loops back to the Wash. Times story but I’ll wait and see.
Um no, GeoT, from the article:
Gen. Zinni, a former commander of Central Command, told The Washington Times that he had been offered the job by the White House national security adviser, retired Marine Gen. James Jones, two weeks ago and that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed the offer on Jan. 26.
Oh, absolutely, it is from the WT. We’ll see if Zinni releases a statement denying the quote. …or whether State responds.
Taylor Marsh says:
04 February 2009 at 2:53 pm
Um no, GeoT, from the article:
________
you’re right and add: “Gen. Zinni said Tuesday. ”
(my bad)
I really have a problem with the WT. I certainly hope that Zinni denies this and slaps them down.
Hey, I get what you’re saying about the WT. It’s very hard these days to drill down into a piece, especially with the bias. But this piece has the specifics.
wow: reading the comments on that Washington Post story I can see they have a specific target audience.
example.
“Just watch. Obama will decimate the military just like Clinton did.”
“One more goofy nomination for another tax cheating ex-Clinton flunky and I’m thinking we all need to start wondering about the wisdom of voting these guys in to power, I certainly didn’t vote for him.”
Wash. Times that is
Chuck Todd just asked an excellent question at the White House briefing. What methods are there to enforce the executive compensation?
Gibbs came up empty.
Betsy says:
04 February 2009 at 3:05 pm
I really have a problem with the WT. I certainly hope that Zinni denies this and slaps them down.
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true, why would Zenni knowingly talk on the record to the WT? Unless it’s deliberate payback.
justlen says:
04 February 2009 at 3:16 pm
Chuck Todd just asked an excellent question at the White House briefing. What methods are there to enforce the executive compensation?
Gibbs came up empty.
I wondered about that as well. But aren’t executive salaries of public companies included in the annual report? (or 10 K)
GeoT says:
04 February 2009 at 3:16 pm
That’s exactly what I mean GeoT.
GeoT says:
04 February 2009 at 3:19 pm
I wondered about that as well. But aren’t executive salaries of public companies included in the annual report? (or 10 K)
Yes, but what it the banks say “bite me” and hand out bonuses?
justlen says:
04 February 2009 at 3:23 pm
Yes, but what it the banks say “bite me” and hand out bonuses?
well from what I understand, for our bailout $ to the banks we (the government) have received priority (preferred) warrants for equity. So we say if you don’t follow the guidelines we convert, cash in, and take our money back.
This is the first time I’ve seen Gibbs hold a WH press-briefing. Jesus, he’s terrible.
Somebody get the dude an espresso!
This story is too in the details for me, anyway. But I’ve been asking about this appointment.
I think Hillary had good cause to pause before accepting this position.
Nevertheless, I think she’ll make lemonade outta lemons.
OT here’s an excellent article in The Nation about the stimulus.
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow/404784
more drama-stim bill delayed until late feb
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/house-dems-may-work-through-presidents-day-weekend-2009-02-04.html
AnninCA says:
04 February 2009 at 3:41 pm
I think Hillary had good cause to pause before accepting this position.
________
you’re so right, Obama will have her under the bus in no time. His incompetence will only reflect badly on her.
Well, frankly, I give the Senate about 5 to 1 odds against actually rewriting the bill so it can be passed.
It’s that big of a disaster.
It will go to the White House next. I hope the economic brain trust is NOW working overtime and eating pizza late into the night to actually come up with a bill that could pass.
If not?
Then, they should be fired.
Per Krugman:
You know, it was widely expected that Obama would have a stimulus plan ready to pass Congress even before his inauguration. That didn’t happen. We were told that this was because the economic team was working flat out on the financial rescue.
In fact, when it comes to bank rescue it’s hard to see much evidence that anything was accomplished during all that time; the team is still — still! — running ideas up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes. And the ideas look remarkably bad. (Welcome to the Ancient and Hermetic Order of the Shrill, Yves.)
Meanwhile, when it came to stimulus legislation, when Obama finally introduced his economic plan he immediately began negotiating with himself, preemptively offering concessions to the GOP, which voted against the plan anyway. (And Obama appears, in the name of bipartisanship, to have thrown away a Senate vote he may well need.)
As a wise man recently said, failure to act effectively risks turning this slump into a catastrophe. Yet there’s a sense, watching the process so far, of low energy. What’s going on?
GeoT says:
04 February 2009 at 3:49 pm
LMAO
Betsy says:
04 February 2009 at 3:53 pm
I’m glad someone is paying attention
JoeCHI says:
04 February 2009 at 3:52 pm
Per Krugman:
He’s a bit of a backseat driver/Monday morning quarterback with nothing on the line, and nothing “invested” in the process. He’s peanut gallery, IMO
I surely hope Hillary isn’t forced to take the fall for this.
And it wont just be the conservative media that will beat her to death with this – it will be Matthews, Olbermann and Madow who refused to hold President Obama accountable for anything during the primaries.
Selecting Hillary as SOS was the first part of the healing process for Clinton democrats – but there will be hell to pay if she is not treated with the respect she has earned.
But let’s take a deep breath in the meantime…..
Geez, right away everyone seems to think the President is slamming Clinton. Does anyone not think that maybe this is all a ruse to seem like they are fighting. I just do not believe that he would do that.
They’re all waiting to hear Joe the Retard make his recommendations.
Betsy says:
04 February 2009 at 4:05 pm
Geez, right away everyone seems to think the President is slamming Clinton. Does anyone not think that maybe this is all a ruse to seem like they are fighting. I just do not believe that he would do that.
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I’m going with “planted story” at this point Betsy. Intended to cause, as you say, the appearance of discord.
krugman gets it. can we replace larry summers now?
Betsy,
I agree with you. Obama wouldn’t do anything to Hillary nor she to him. Whatever the situation is, they will confer and resolve the situation privately before addressing it publicly. They are professionals. This might be a miscommunication. Who knows.
Chuck Todd said something interesting before the presser. He said that Matt Drudge was setting the daily headline on the stimulus. Taylor is savy enough to already know this, but I think Drudge and his ilk have been discredited, not to the sterling MSM I guess.
Obama needs to get all hands out on a media blitz to explain why we need this stimulus,includng governors!
lynnette says:
04 February 2009 at 4:14 pm
Betsy,
I agree with you. Obama wouldn’t do anything to Hillary nor she to him. Whatever the situation is, they will confer and resolve the situation privately before addressing it publicly. They are professionals.
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thank you… sanity returns.
thank God…. new thread.
Did anyone read “The Nation” article. I put the link up thread. It pretty much tells what the stimulus package has in it. Personally I don’t see anything wrong at all. But then again I’m not a right wing neocon.
globe-gregg linked to abramoff-
http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/2/4/162736/4108
texan4hillary says:
04 February 2009 at 4:30 pm
globe-gregg linked to abramoff-
http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/2/4/162736/4108
good! let the Republicans vote him down.
GeoT says:
04 February 2009 at 3:57 pm
Per Krugman:
He’s a bit of a backseat driver/Monday morning quarterback with nothing on the line, and nothing “invested” in the process. He’s peanut gallery, IMO.
_____________________________________________
Actually, Krugman holds a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT. He is a professor of economics at Princeton, as well as a prolific author of numerous books, textbooks, and academic studies.
Further, in addition to being one of the most articulate and out-spoken advocates for progressive economic policies, Krugman was also the sole recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Economics.
But, hey, I guess one man’s “peanut gallery” is another man’s Nobel Prize winner!
GeoT: “[Paul Krugman is] peanut gallery, IMO.”
Yeah, well, Prof. Krugman also happens to have a Nobel Prize in Economics to his credit, so I think his learned opinions on such matters carry just a wee bit more weight than yours. Further, your notion that he has “nothing invested in the process” is nonsensical, because we ALL have a dog in THIS particualr hunt.
the whole Zinni story:
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/02/04/zinni_unloads
JoeCHI says:
04 February 2009 at 5:19 pm
But, hey, I guess one man’s “peanut gallery” is another man’s Nobel Prize winner!
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it’s a matter of his airy theoretical approach versus the needed brass tacks, practical, street level programs that are called for. He’s as insulated from reality (or more so) than these people in D.C. that we’re depending on.
I respect Paul Krugman and what he has to say. I don’t think he has any particular agenda. I noticed he didn’t meet with all the other reporters and the President last week or whenever it was. I think that is good because he can remain objective. For the most part, he is pretty practical and credible, in my opinion.
Geo T., You think Krugman is airy? He seems pretty sensible and practical to me. I understand his columns and I kind of like he is not part of the “establishment”. He seems to be more of a loner to me, but that is just my opinion for whatever its worth. Actually, he is about the only one on the Times that I still read.
lynnette says:
04 February 2009 at 7:51 pm
Geo T., You think Krugman is airy?
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He doesn’t strike me as a roll your sleeves up kind of guy, which is what we need IMO. Economists in general look back and explain, we need to look forward and avoid the cliff. again my opinion.
Geo T., No he isn’t a roll up your sleeves type of guy, I agree. I get your point.
lynnette says:
04 February 2009 at 8:16 pm
Hey! found a cool possible avatar for you:
http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/multimedia/mm0203/lynettemc/images/logoLynette_jpg.jpg
or:
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/ltinnel/Lynette%20Sigs/HeartsStarsAngel_Lynette-vi.jpg
:=)
JoeCHI says:
04 February 2009 at 5:19 pm
I have to admit, Krugman made allot of sense on Maddow’s show tonight.
I say, Hillary……he gets one pass, due to being new.
After this?
Resign.