Jeff Blankfort writes: "Being a State Department or White House press spokesperson is no easy job; and this guy at State, Ian Kelly, says he's worried about getting fired or transfered if he says too much re Dennis Ross. A must read." Partial tranny:
QUESTION: Tangential to this, what – there seem to be a – well, not seem to be, there are a lot of reports about Dennis Ross based on one specific report in an Israeli newspaper. What’s his status? Has he been fired?
MR. KELLY: He has not been fired.
QUESTION: Is he being ousted?
MR. KELLY: He is not being ousted.
QUESTION: Is there an abrupt change to his responsibilities?
MR. KELLY: I – there is –
QUESTION: Is he being reassigned?
MR. KELLY: Look, he’s in the building today. I was in his office today. He’s working very hard on the same issues that we’ve been discussing the last, whatever it is, 15 minutes. And you know, if and when there is some kind of personnel announcement, I’ll be happy to let you know.
QUESTION: Isn’t it – isn’t he being reassigned to another position at the White House?
MR. KELLY: Anything is possible. I could be fired today too, I mean, if you guys keep probing me on this.
QUESTION: Isn’t it true that he’s being – isn’t it true that he’s being reassigned to another position at the White House?
MR. KELLY: Like I said, I have – there – I have no personnel announcements.
QUESTION: So the Secretary has full confidence in Dennis Ross to continue in his present role?
MR. KELLY: Absolutely.
QUESTION: So Dennis Ross – Dennis Ross is going to continue in his role as advisor to the Secretary on, what was it, western Gulf –
QUESTION: Southwest Asia.
QUESTION: – southwest Gulf affairs?
MR. KELLY: He is – as I say, he is working very hard. He worked hard throughout the weekend, and he’s continuing to do his job today.
QUESTION: Has the book that he and David Makovsky published recently caused any problems for him internally in this Administration that you’re aware?
MR. KELLY: No, no. It’s a very good book, by the way. I started reading it over the weekend.
QUESTION: Was there any –
QUESTION: Oh, so you’re doing reviews from the podium.
QUESTION: Was there any concern about this book –
MR. KELLY: It probably was inappropriate, but there it is. It’s out there.
QUESTION: Was there any concern about his authorship of this book of some of the opinions that he and his coauthor expressed in the book –
MR. KELLY: No.
QUESTION: — during the time leading up to his appointment?
MR. KELLY: No, not at all.
QUESTION: Why not?
MR. KELLY: Well, I mean, Mr. Ross is – I mean, he is in the Administration now. He is a very close advisor of the Secretary on a number of issues related to Iran and the region. But he also came out of the academic community, and he’s entitled – he was entitled to his opinion. He wrote the book before he came on board here.
QUESTION: But I mean, his opinion in his book and everything notwithstanding, are you saying that Dennis Ross is not being reassigned to another position at the White House?
MR. KELLY: I’m saying he’s working very hard here at the State Department.
QUESTION: Well, you’re not saying no.
MR. KELLY: I’m saying he’s working very hard here at the State Department.
QUESTION: I’m not saying he’s – I’m not saying he’s not working very hard. There’s a lot going on in Iran.
MR. KELLY: I can’t predict the future, Elise. I don’t know –
QUESTION: No one asked if he was, you know, lollygagging –
QUESTION: No one is questioning that he works very hard.
(Laughter.)
QUESTION: But yes or no? I mean, is he being reassigned to –
MR. KELLY: I – you know, I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t predict what’s going to happen tomorrow.
QUESTION: You can’t predict till tomorrow when you’re going to announce it?
MR. KELLY: I may be reassigned, God knows where, tomorrow. I don’t know.
Related posts:
- Dennis Ross could be ‘Elliott Abrams of Obama administration’
- High State Department official listed Obama’s election among ’severe challenges and threats’ to Israel
- Was Dennis Ross Sincere When He Scanted Power of Israel Lobby?
- How the Israel lobby shot itself in the foot on Dennis Ross’s elevation
- ‘Huffpo’ raises dual loyalty issue re Dennis Ross
{ 7 comments }
No doubt about it; AIPAC is more powerful than any other special interest group in the USA, a nation ruled by such groups. The tail is wagging the dog furiously.
Hold on. Ross could become boss. What was originally portrayed as a demotion is now being called in some reports an upgrade or promotion. What a revolting development. This from Time: Ross is likely to have a greater role advising the President on the Arab-Israeli peace process. [ He was Bill Clinton's top envoy for Middle Eastern peace and knows the region and its players well. At the NSC, Ross will have a freer hand in some regards. Though there are already senior advisers for Arab-Israeli affairs and for Iran and the Gulf, he will be closer to Obama, who relied on him for advice on the region during the 2008 presidential campaign. At State, Ross had to navigate a crowded field of players, including Richard Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Bill Burns, who leads the stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program; and George Mitchell, the Administration's envoy for Arab-Israeli affairs. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093058.html This is an update of the original article that started the rumor. It now contains an indication that Ross is both expanding and upgrading his responsibilities. Another possible reason for the reshuffle could be Ross' dissatisfaction with his present standing in the State Department, particularly given the fact that Washington's two other envoys to the region – George Mitchell, who is overseeing the Mideast peace process; and Richard Holbrooke, who is dealing with Pakistan and Afghanistan – wield great influence and are featured prominently. A diplomatic source in Jerusalem speculated that perhaps Ross preferred to work for the National Security Agency, which answers directly to President Barack Obama, and would thus be considered a more enhanced role. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093058.html
That was pretty funny. :) I love watching spokesmen squirm. His admission that he was in Mr. Ross's office earlier in the day was revealing. Anyone want to bet that he wasn't being given his talking points? Dennis: Ian, list carefully. Whatever they ask you, tell them I work hard. Very, very hard. Tell them that I am in the office today working very hard. Tell them you actually saw me in my office today working very hard. Tell them I was in the office all weekend working very hard. Did I mention that I have been working very hard? Don't screw up if you want to keep that good federal employee health insurance for your wife and kids.
At State, Ross had to navigate a crowded field of players, including Richard Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Bill Burns, who leads the stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program; and George Mitchell, the Administration's envoy for Arab-Israeli affairs. Sounds like a lot of people doing important work that want him out of their hair. So what if he is in a better position to give 'advice' to Pres. Obama? As long as there is one information pathway into the presidential bubble that Pres. Obama can rely on for truth, and we are lucky to have General Jones as ANSA, then it doesn't matter how many liars get their say. The President is smart enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. He knows where Mr. Ross's loyalties lie, and that the appearance of influence via Ross is useful to mollify the Lobby.
The NYTimes article on the reassignment (by Mark Landler) says this about Ross, "His negotiations over the State Department position had been long and complicated, in part because the department’s career diplomats balked at giving him a broader portfolio to include the Middle East." But not a word about WHY they balked. And not a word about how's Ross is perceived by the nations in the region. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/world/16diplo.h...
RE: "State Department spokesman 'jokes' about being canned for talking about Dennis Ross" MY COMMENT: Those blankety-blank State Department Arabist's!
I saw the original Haaretz article in the middle of the night and posted it here. The original headline was the same as the piece by Marty Peretz: Dennis Ross, Out As Special Envoy To Iran; Was He Ousted Because He's A Jew? I believe the Haaretz article came directly from Ross. In the space of a few hours in the middle of the night, the article and the headline started being adjusted to provide better and better news for Ross. But the original article was clear that he was being abruptly ousted. Ross and Peretz' first inclination was to spin it as antisemitism on the part of the Iranians and the Administration. What they are doing now is allowing him to save face and reassuring the Lobby of their power. It is easy to get a nepotistic fool like Massimo Calabresi at Time to write a sycophantic article saying Ross has been promoted. It's all well and good if this will help keep the muzzle on the Lobby.
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