ANOTHER DISTRACTION: Hillary Clinton, who is apparently showing the strains of her new job (she's got Samsonites under her eyes), noted that the Taliban is now a "mortal threat" to Pakistan. Anyone who has read Steve Coll's Ghost Wars would be struck by the irony of Pakistan's creation turning against it.
ROCK, NOT ROCK STAR: Rachel Maddow, GE's answer to Ambien, is slowly sinking into oblivion with what remains of her minuscule audience. Rush Limbaugh, if memory serves, thought Maddow would be a perfect fit with MSNBC though -- as she didn't have much of a track record in garnering an audience in radio either.
UNWATCHABLES: I gave ABC's The Unsusuals a viewing last night. I enjoyed it more when it was called NYPD Blue.
CHERRY PICKING: I figured, well, all it took was a measly $39 to get everyone thinking that happy days are here again. Then I realized that AP prominently displayed the good news, rather than the less than positive news in their story about how Obama has revitalized the American mood. Of greater interest, is how they parse the quote from a McCain supporter to fit the narrative.
NOT THAT PUBLIC SERVICE: It's been three months or so since Caroline Kennedy got the thumbs down from Governor Paterson to be Hillary Clinton's replacement. (That move certainly didn't help him with NY's chattering class but that's another story.) Apparently, her need to serve the public is satisfied by reading a message on behalf of Mayor Bloomberg to get other folks to volunteer. Not quite as challenging as a Senate gig. Anyway, as long as Chuck Schumer (D - Wall Street) has any juice, Kennedy will be sitting on the sidelines in 2010.
Showing posts with label Hillary Clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hillary Clinton. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
The General is Overturned
I wondered as to why the Obama Team selected retired Marine Corps General James Jones to be the national security advisor.
At first, I thought it may be the case that none of the inner circle Obama, Biden, and H. R. Clinton had any military expertise. (Dr. Gates of the DoD, if memory serves, was a reservist in the Air Force -- but how long will he stay in the administration?) I suspected that they wanted their own "in-house" military perspective rather than being dependent upon the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The second point in his favor was the fact that he publicly turned down a deputy national security position (with responsibility for on-going military operations) in the in the Bush Administration due to what he believed was their poor prosecution of the war in Iraq. Bush-bashing is always OK with Team Obama.
Perhaps.
The news that career diplomat Christopher Hill has been chosen to be the new Ambassador to Baghdad suggests that Jones was hired because he can be rolled.
A host of reports indicate that Jones (who coordinated this move with Clinton) informed retired Marine Corps general Anthony Zinni that he was the administration's choice to be the Ambassador. (I'm not sold on the wisdom of the former CENTCOM commander being the ambassador but I'll let that slide for now.)
However, it seems that Richard Holbrooke went behind the back of Jones and lobbied -- successfully with Secretary Clinton -- for Hill to be the new envoy.
Tellingly, Zinni had to call Jones in order to find out that the job offer was no longer on the table. While this may be a slap in the face for Zinni it certainly makes Jones look just as foolish.
In late November, when Team Obama's vetting process was thought to be a well-oiled machine, a "senior advisor" praised Jones as a "...a strong player who isn't dwarfed by any of the other personalities around the table."
Well if this incident doesn't make him look small, what does?
At first, I thought it may be the case that none of the inner circle Obama, Biden, and H. R. Clinton had any military expertise. (Dr. Gates of the DoD, if memory serves, was a reservist in the Air Force -- but how long will he stay in the administration?) I suspected that they wanted their own "in-house" military perspective rather than being dependent upon the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The second point in his favor was the fact that he publicly turned down a deputy national security position (with responsibility for on-going military operations) in the in the Bush Administration due to what he believed was their poor prosecution of the war in Iraq. Bush-bashing is always OK with Team Obama.
Perhaps.
The news that career diplomat Christopher Hill has been chosen to be the new Ambassador to Baghdad suggests that Jones was hired because he can be rolled.
A host of reports indicate that Jones (who coordinated this move with Clinton) informed retired Marine Corps general Anthony Zinni that he was the administration's choice to be the Ambassador. (I'm not sold on the wisdom of the former CENTCOM commander being the ambassador but I'll let that slide for now.)
However, it seems that Richard Holbrooke went behind the back of Jones and lobbied -- successfully with Secretary Clinton -- for Hill to be the new envoy.
Tellingly, Zinni had to call Jones in order to find out that the job offer was no longer on the table. While this may be a slap in the face for Zinni it certainly makes Jones look just as foolish.
In late November, when Team Obama's vetting process was thought to be a well-oiled machine, a "senior advisor" praised Jones as a "...a strong player who isn't dwarfed by any of the other personalities around the table."
Well if this incident doesn't make him look small, what does?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Soured on Caroline
Years ago, I had a friend who, in the midst of the Little League season, took off for a vacation in Italy. The guy was a decent player but he was no All-Star. So when it came time to choose an All-Star team for the district championships, he was with his parents visiting the kinfolk. He wasn't chosen. Some of us thought -- as we were wont to do -- that he purposefully took off to Italy to avoid the indignity of not being selected.
In retrospect, it's hard to imagine him pleading with his parents to go to Italy at that particular time to avoid a pre-teenage traumatic event.
It's less harder to believe that Caroline Kennedy is bailing out before she goes through the indignity of having someone -- other than her -- selected to complete the term of Hillary Rodham-Clinton. In fact, reporters for The New York Post say as much.
Like the little kid who said that he wasn't going to the birthday party even if he was invited; he's still viewed as, well, someone who is going to miss the fun.
She was a dreadful candidate, you know. More importantly she wasn't going to win Governor Paterson's any votes in 2010, so he thought it was best to jettison her now.
She might want to go to Italy. I hear it's lovely this time of year.
In retrospect, it's hard to imagine him pleading with his parents to go to Italy at that particular time to avoid a pre-teenage traumatic event.
It's less harder to believe that Caroline Kennedy is bailing out before she goes through the indignity of having someone -- other than her -- selected to complete the term of Hillary Rodham-Clinton. In fact, reporters for The New York Post say as much.
Like the little kid who said that he wasn't going to the birthday party even if he was invited; he's still viewed as, well, someone who is going to miss the fun.
She was a dreadful candidate, you know. More importantly she wasn't going to win Governor Paterson's any votes in 2010, so he thought it was best to jettison her now.
She might want to go to Italy. I hear it's lovely this time of year.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Early Confirmation Notes
Some notes as the nascent Obama Administration begins to take shape:
- During the early stages of the Bush 43 administration, Colin Powell was spinning the concept of "smart sanctions" against Iraq. It was a case of "old wine, new bottle" but it prompted someone to ask if the old sanctions, which had been in place for a decade, were "stupid." I'm picking up the same vibe when I hear Ms. Rodham-Clinton discussing "smart power diplomacy". Were we practicing "stupid power diplomacy" for the past 16 years? I ask since I thought the liberation of 15 million people wasn't, well, a moronic thing to do.
- Tim Geithner's tax dodging has been described as a "hiccup" by the Senate majority leader and as a "distraction" by Candy Crowley on CNN as he faces confirmation hearings. (You'll have to trust me on this but she said it last night. Curiously, as I write this, there is no mention on CNN's home page about this issue. Go figure.) How about this -- a f*ck up? Moreover, he certainly gives the appearance that if he wasn't going to be named as Secretary of the Treasury then the IRS wasn't going to get a check. He may get confirmed, but he's damaged goods.
- In the schoolyards, we all learn at a young age, never to make a threat that you cannot carry out. More importantly, if you have to choose a side, go with the guys likely to win. I say this because Obama came out in support of the Senate Democrats who opposed Rod Blagojevich's selection of Roland Burris to be his successor. Now that Burris will be the new Senator from Illinois, it looks like Team Obama would have been wise to have kept quiet.
- The noted philosopher, Michael Tyson, once noted: Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. So it goes with Obama's plan to spend the remaining $350 billion of TARP money without limited Congressional strings. Moreover, his economic "recovery" plan also faces opposition. I trust that Team Obama has developed a Plan B (and C, for that matter.) Bloody mouths are not pretty.
Well, we're only a week out. Things should get even more exciting!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
All In the Family
During a hitch in the Army when I was a butter bar, I served alongside another lieutenant. I thought he was average, perhaps a notch or two above average. Others were less charitable in their assessment.
Nonetheless he was fast tracking -- got the coveted duty assignments, locations, and schools.
Usually when someone is doing well in their career, most folks think he's got his act together. However, even his friends didn't think he was that good.
What made him stand out among his peers? Well, it didn't hurt that his old man was a two star general. Now, the son didn't advertise that fact but then you didn't have to beat it out of him either.
I can't speak for the other services but in my tour of duty, I looked at my fair share of command and promotion lists and scratch my head and say -- hey isn't his or her old man a general officer?
Now I'm not suggesting that these guys are all duds. I'm sure there's a good one or two in the bunch.
What's the point, Maguire?
Well in the Empire State, the son of Basil Patterson will chose (among others) the daughter of John F. Kennedy or the son of Mario Cuomo to fill the seat that is currently held by Bill Clinton's wife.
The sad fact is that none of the four aforementioned folks got where they are on their own. They had a big leg up on the competition -- and used it to the fullest advantage. That's not to suggest they are unqualified -- but none of them are self-made.
Maybe they should take a cue from my fast-tracking colleague.
He quit the Army (long before 9/11) and works in private business. He knows that any success he has in this endeavor will be a result of who is -- and not who is father is.
UPDATE: Similar thoughts from elsewhere here.
Nonetheless he was fast tracking -- got the coveted duty assignments, locations, and schools.
Usually when someone is doing well in their career, most folks think he's got his act together. However, even his friends didn't think he was that good.
What made him stand out among his peers? Well, it didn't hurt that his old man was a two star general. Now, the son didn't advertise that fact but then you didn't have to beat it out of him either.
I can't speak for the other services but in my tour of duty, I looked at my fair share of command and promotion lists and scratch my head and say -- hey isn't his or her old man a general officer?
Now I'm not suggesting that these guys are all duds. I'm sure there's a good one or two in the bunch.
What's the point, Maguire?
Well in the Empire State, the son of Basil Patterson will chose (among others) the daughter of John F. Kennedy or the son of Mario Cuomo to fill the seat that is currently held by Bill Clinton's wife.
The sad fact is that none of the four aforementioned folks got where they are on their own. They had a big leg up on the competition -- and used it to the fullest advantage. That's not to suggest they are unqualified -- but none of them are self-made.
Maybe they should take a cue from my fast-tracking colleague.
He quit the Army (long before 9/11) and works in private business. He knows that any success he has in this endeavor will be a result of who is -- and not who is father is.
UPDATE: Similar thoughts from elsewhere here.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Waiting for the Paint to Dry
While waiting for the paint to dry and to get on with today's business of living...
...I'm wondering what Chuck Hagel will be doing now that he's heading down the road to retirement. I'm sure he's upset that Team Obama hasn't come calling for a Cabinet gig. He certainly did his bit to lower W's stature as a media-friendly Republican. But then again, he was more of a hack than a visionary. Remember in late 2006 he called the Iraqi surge a "folly".
...I thought with the departure of Matt Millen as the GM of the Detroit Lions that accountability for success and failure in the world of football was restored. Then I note that Charlie Weis, the worst coach of the Fighting Irish since the early 1960s. He got by in his first two years due to the players recruited by his predecessor. Now it's all Charlie's team. Sadly, as mediocre as they are, they'll probably be in a pre-Christmas Bowl Game.
...I'm curious as to how Hillary's aides are chronicling her service to the Empire State. Good luck to the guy or gal who has to spin how HRC -- through no fault of her own -- failed to get those promised 200,000 jobs. (Extra credit to the aide who can spin away the loss of 34K jobs in upstate in New York on her watch.)
...Twenty years ago, the age of cable TV was heralded as a wonderful opportunity. What do we have to show for it now? Commentary posing as news; network programs repeated ad nauseum; and guys trying to kill themselves. Hell, they don't even show music videos anymore. It's a full speed race to the bottom. What went wrong?
...Did Elliot Spitzer, Roger Clemens, O.J. Simpson or John Edwards really enjoy Thanksgiving this year?
...The old cliche is that when someone says, it's not about the money, it's really all about the money. I kind of get the same sense when CNN blurbs a show as no bias and no bull. You know, it's all bias and all bull but they just won't admit to it?
...Metallica and Guns 'n' Roses release new albums and a Democrat is headed for the White House is this 1992 all over again?
UPDATE: Someone also has misgivings about what went wrong with cable.
...I'm wondering what Chuck Hagel will be doing now that he's heading down the road to retirement. I'm sure he's upset that Team Obama hasn't come calling for a Cabinet gig. He certainly did his bit to lower W's stature as a media-friendly Republican. But then again, he was more of a hack than a visionary. Remember in late 2006 he called the Iraqi surge a "folly".
...I thought with the departure of Matt Millen as the GM of the Detroit Lions that accountability for success and failure in the world of football was restored. Then I note that Charlie Weis, the worst coach of the Fighting Irish since the early 1960s. He got by in his first two years due to the players recruited by his predecessor. Now it's all Charlie's team. Sadly, as mediocre as they are, they'll probably be in a pre-Christmas Bowl Game.
...I'm curious as to how Hillary's aides are chronicling her service to the Empire State. Good luck to the guy or gal who has to spin how HRC -- through no fault of her own -- failed to get those promised 200,000 jobs. (Extra credit to the aide who can spin away the loss of 34K jobs in upstate in New York on her watch.)
...Twenty years ago, the age of cable TV was heralded as a wonderful opportunity. What do we have to show for it now? Commentary posing as news; network programs repeated ad nauseum; and guys trying to kill themselves. Hell, they don't even show music videos anymore. It's a full speed race to the bottom. What went wrong?
...Did Elliot Spitzer, Roger Clemens, O.J. Simpson or John Edwards really enjoy Thanksgiving this year?
...The old cliche is that when someone says, it's not about the money, it's really all about the money. I kind of get the same sense when CNN blurbs a show as no bias and no bull. You know, it's all bias and all bull but they just won't admit to it?
...Metallica and Guns 'n' Roses release new albums and a Democrat is headed for the White House is this 1992 all over again?
UPDATE: Someone also has misgivings about what went wrong with cable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)