Comments on: James Jones’ Death Spiral

By: WarEagle01

WarEagle01 — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:25:35 +0000

I was in EUCOM during his tenure there. Jones is a Marine’s Marine. He knows everything there is to know about the operational and strategic levels of war. He can maneuver a Marine Air-Ground Task Force with the best of them. But grand strategy and national security are just not his areas of expertise. I also found him to be a terrible communicator, which is somewhat unusual for a general or flag officer. He does have some previous Washington experience though, having served in the Senate liaison office.

By: janis

janis — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:58:04 +0000

I understand your thinking on this, Art, but now that Obama is rolling over and playing dead on so many security issues, the opportunity to gravely wound the great Satan may never be this easy again. If I were a terrorist, I’d be licking my chops right about now and signing up the go team.

By: Achance

Achance — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:53:07 +0000

Only an attack would rouse the People and maybe not even that; they’d just blame Bush. They stand to get everything they want by just letting BHO be BHO and the Democrats be Democrats. An attack might get them a Republican Congress and a Toby Kieth singing about putting a boot in somebody’s a#$ again.

Now Psychostates like NorKor and Iran or even China getting froggy about Taiwan are another matter. They can smell the fecklessness.

By: Streiff

Streiff — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:40:11 +0000

to run away from the Bush Administration. He turned down the CENTCOM job, called Iraq a “debacle”, and was generally unhelpful enough that he wasn’t going to get a job with them.

By: E Pluribus Unum

E Pluribus Unum — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:35:26 +0000

He’s clearly a fish out of water in this administration, where he is unable to do his job from the get-go because he has no control over his subordinates and no actual influence in the NSC whatsoever.

My impressions from back aways is that he had some personal gravitas, and if hired by an administration such as GWB’s he would have (1) a situation that involved adults, (2) probably have the ear of Cheney, which is all the clout you need, and (3) effective control of his own staff.

But like I said I don’t know him that well.

By: Streiff

Streiff — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:28:21 +0000

I think Jones brought to NSC what Powell brought to State in 2001. A solid reputation and 4 star gravitas.

The NSA has to be someone with personal influence in the Oval Office otherwise he’s going to be ignored in the Agency wars he has to referee and run roughshod by people more politically connected. Definitionally, Jones was the wrong guy for the job.

Jones was window dressing to answer questions about Obama’s credibility on foreign policy and to give the illusion of “reaching out.”

By: E Pluribus Unum

E Pluribus Unum — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:22:37 +0000

And he’s just not suited to work in a dad-gum zoo.

He is unfortunately far too qualified for this job in this administration. He will be gone before they need him, and when the DO have a major crisis and desperately need adults in the room, all they will have are Bambi and his yes-people, none of which will be willing to step up and take charge.

By: Section9

Section9 — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:21:50 +0000

Jones sounds to me like he’s the kind of level-headed combat officer that Obama will need when the s**t hits the fan, as it surely will.

This is what happens when you lend your name and your clout to someone’s campaign, only to find out that you were window dressing all along.

I agree with you; were I him I’d get ready to start movin’ on. Obama doesn’t value this man enough to value his confidence.

By: Old_Crow

Old_Crow — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:49:49 +0000

and the boy-President and his boy-staff wet their pants..

Status quo DC is a power grab scrum for influence and advancement.

War, and by that I mean repeated attacks against CONUS targets as well as Americans overseas, has a way weeding out the weak and focusing those who remain.

Obama better enjoy the honeymoon while it lasts.

By: Achance

Achance — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:45:08 +0000

it ain’t easy! First, you’d better have a bunch of personal horsepower and, second, you’d better be at least demonstrably wiser than they are if you can’t be better than they are anymore. No matter, they’ll all be waiting for you to retire, die, screw up enough to get fired, and will backbite you at every opportunity.

Doesn’t sound like this guy has any horsepower with the Boss, so he’d best reconcile himself to just building his retirement or be getting his affairs in order.

By: JadedByPolitics

JadedByPolitics — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:35:39 +0000

he has no respect AT ALL for the military and he picked him to be a figurehead NOTHING MORE! how sad to have defended the best country in the world to be downgraded to a nothing!

By: Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:28:44 +0000

Sorry, couldn’t resist…sounds like Jones is the only grownup in the place, which by itself makes him a marked man.