Jack Ross continues to be optimistic re Obama and Middle East policy. At some point all this is imponderable, but for now–
which frankly is the only way for Obama to avoid becoming a Kerensky,
or at least a Nixon, and even Nixon, at the end of the day, pulled off
the single most brilliant act of great power politics of the 20th Century by going to China.
Anyway, Blankfort may be right about Zinni, as long as it's not Dennis Ross
or Susan Rice I'll live (though this Jamie Steinberg makes me nervous)
but Hagel does increasingly seem to be a shoe-in, and the terrific news
in the Times today, if its accompanied by some bad news, is that Anthony Lake will almost certainly be head of the CIA and not Jane Harman. I'm also highly doubtful that Obama is taking kindly to Holbrooke and John Kerry both lobbying to be made Secretary of State. As for Richardson, anyone and everyone can grovel before AIPAC; the point is that in part he got nowhere running for President becaue his resume is anathema to The Lobby.
And the idea that Rahm Emanuel will as Chief of Staff
have veto power over any appointments, or over anything for that
matter, is preposterous. The guy is a scary asshole, absolutely, but
the obsession that a lot of people have had with him ever since 2006
frankly scares me.
