General Unloads On Obama Team: Blown Off On Iraq Job

Foreign Policy:

When retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni told the Washington Times today that he was offered the job of U.S. ambassador to Iraq before being passed over in favor of diplomat Christopher Hill, he did not say that one of the outrages of the experience was that his friend of 30 years, fellow former Marine Corps commandant and now national security advisor James L. Jones had offered him the job, and then failed to tell him when the decision was changed.

...

"You know, I would have appreciated if someone called me and said, 'Minds were changed,'" Zinni said. "But not even to get a call. That's what's really embarrassing."

Read the whole story: Foreign Policy

Comments

[mimigrammy]

12:52 PM on 02/05/2009

If General Zinni is that easily offended and embarrassed, he doesn't deserve to be Ambassador to any country, much less Iraq.

[Mnemanth]

12:12 PM on 02/05/2009

Poor overpaid, arrogant, self important, old, white baby. And these petulant children are who "lead" our soldiers. I'd love to slap this wimp.

[tomterif]

12:37 PM on 02/05/2009

Well, as long as you explained he's "white".

I guess that clears everything up for all your loyal and devoted readers, who surely must hang on your every word, for their understanding of "the political and governmental affairs of the day".

Yecch !

[Mnemanth]

01:25 PM on 02/05/2009

What loyal and devoted readers? Is that what YOU'RE hear for?

Yes, he's white. The race that set the stage for a society of entitlement. Sure, we're all guilty of it anymore- black, white, men, women, young, old- but bloated gas bags like this are fine illustrations of where it all began.

Sorry if that hurts your feelings.

[joeinvt]

12:09 PM on 02/05/2009

I could care less whether Zinni is ambasador to Iraq but that isn't the issue. According to the post above Zinni "was offered the job of U.S. ambassador to Iraq" before the job was give to someone else without the courtesy of even letting Zinni know. That is just low rent. Whether you like Zinni or not what does Obama gain by disrespecting him in this way? Further, I find it hard to believe that Obama would take the same F... him attitude so many people are expressing here. Isn't it simply possible that this represents another instance in which Obama is not being well served by his staff?

[3M Rocker]

12:37 PM on 02/05/2009

I agree.

[azcamp]

11:58 AM on 02/05/2009

This suggests that someone on the transition team spoke before looking into Zinni's connections with a defense contractor who had business in Iraq. Retired generals who make millions working for defense contractors should not expect to serve in the Obama administration. We have lived through the Halliburton years and voters rejected that way of doing business.

Hill is a career diplomat and a better choice for ambassador based on his achievements in Korea. It would be great to reward the hard working professionals at the State Department with the top jobs at the agency instead of bringing in well-connected retired military leaders who have no diplomatic training or experience.

President Obama promised change in our foreign policy so we should applaud his efforts to field the best team of ambassadors and special envoys possible without creating exceptions to the new rules on ethics.

[goodneighbor420]

12:38 PM on 02/05/2009

being a veteran, I think that we should be listening to some Sargents, NOT Generals.

[BrickSykes]

02:22 PM on 02/05/2009

...It would also help your 'veteran' buddies if you learned how to spell "SERGEANTS", too.

Sounds like you served as a "Pryvitt" your entire career!

Brick

[hollybork]

11:39 AM on 02/05/2009

These things happen. Zinni should keep his mouth tightly closed. He will have a day to use his talents if he can regain his composure, for heaven's sake. What a classless move.

[3M Rocker]

11:05 AM on 02/05/2009

That's too bad. I think Zinni is a man of character - much more so than that deocon sucka$$ Petraeus. This smells of Rahm Emanuel - who I am not a fan of. Obama needs to check his people and run this ship as tight as he ran his campaign. Zinni could have been a valuable ally and now it appears they've lost any chance of his future service. There was also the Wes Clark situation - I thought Clark should've been the VP nominee, but they threw him under the bus. Somewhere along the line, I feel like Obama is getting bad advice.

[MalloMel]

10:48 AM on 02/05/2009

So, Zinni feels that he was disrespected... poor baby. I mean, I've had my feelings hurt a few times. So what...That's life. Anyway, what does that have to do with the coming depression?

[One more Thing]

11:03 AM on 02/05/2009

Answer to your question: Cry babies get more attention.

[SteadyOn]

11:22 AM on 02/05/2009

Ask John Boehner.

[goodneighbor420]

12:41 PM on 02/05/2009

squeaky wheel gets the grease?

[lvdragonlady]

10:48 AM on 02/05/2009

Why would anyone appoint a General to be an ambassador ?
This is NOT gwb's white house, just remember the Bolton appointment(yiks). A General is not ambassador material at all.

[PoliticalAmazon]

10:56 AM on 02/05/2009

Especially if the diplomat is to serve in Iraq! Whoever made the call to not use Zunni, it was a good call, especially in light of the completely undiplomatic and indiscrete way he handled the rejection.

[MalloMel]

10:58 AM on 02/05/2009

"A General is not ambassador material at all."

I know. Just take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg3pgF5EjiA

It just shows you how sick some people are, and how close to power they are.

[ErnestineBass]

11:08 AM on 02/05/2009

Ugh. The Fuller Brush man.

[pahpah25]

10:38 AM on 02/05/2009

THIS GUY IS THE TYPICAL'DOUBLE-DIPPER..RETIRES FROM THE MILTARY, FULL BENEIFITS, THEN GOES TO WORK FOR A MILITARY CONTRACTOR....HAD HE GOTTEN THIS JOB...........WOULD HE BE A TRIPLE -DIPPER/

[bubbuh]

10:39 AM on 02/05/2009

yes

[usedtowander]

10:32 AM on 02/05/2009

Boo Hoo, Zinni.

Generals spend a lifetime being lockstepped forward in their little world. All they have to do is suck up to the right people, do a fair job, and they get pushed forward. Never in their lives do they actually compete for a job like the whole civilian world must.

And, for the last 20 years of their military careers they are treated quite specially.

So, when they get out to the civilian world they get treated just like everyone else. It's new to them. They're so very sensitive, like little babies, especially since they've been treated with kid gloves for so many years.

Too bad Zinni had to be so vocal about sensitive he his about not being chosen. I'm sure he's better than this.

[MalloMel]

11:03 AM on 02/05/2009

"I'm sure he's better than this.

I wouldn't count on it.

He almost slipped in, but fortunately someone cut him off at the pass.

[ebanks84]

10:32 AM on 02/05/2009

Whether he had a conflict of interest or not is not the point. He was not accorded the respect that should have been his from Clinton. Obama would not have handled the situation as such.

[PoliticalAmazon]

10:59 AM on 02/05/2009

Zunni was applying for a job. He is not entitled to the job. He's not entited to anything, certainly not from Obama. Even if Zunni got the job, he still would not be entitled to it because he would always serve at the president's discretion.

Finally, he certainly did not deserve any special treatment or advance notification prior to public announcement. Wouldn't it be lovely to have an announcement spun and announced in the Washington Times before Obama can announce it himself?

Zunni doen't appear to be suited for much, giving his attitude. He'll be lucky if he can get a job walking a dog in the future after his erratic ranting to the WTs.

[tomterif]

01:23 PM on 02/05/2009

"Advance notification" ? Of what ? He was told weeks ago ! [before the inauguration], that the job was definitely his ! Did you even read the article ? If so, "were you in any way sober, at the time ?"

So this honored, entirely respected public servant "pretty much turned his life upside down", preparing for taking this MOST IMPORTANT [especially NOW Iraq job, after having completely retired from public service, and he'd spoken to Hillary a while back, who signed off on everything, and said "Crocker's moving out, we'll really have to get moving on this !"

The article originally said Obama called the General a whille back, with congratulations, but they've just now corrected it to say it was VP Biden. I'd call that "pretty much the same"... maybe "a sliver" less directly embarrassing to Obama, but "not much"... I assure you that O is absolutely MORTIFIED and HUMILIATED by the shabby, totally disrespectful treatment this honored, highly regarded man received from his new administration, in this fiasco, and I'm sure the President would be "thrilled" [He's absolutely RETCH !, actually], to see one of his supporters [which I'll "guess" you are], so familiar with General Zinni's life and work you don't even know his name [You apparently confuse him with your MS I-Pod alternative] is now stating publically "He'll be lucky if he can get a job walking a dog in the future after his erratic ranting...".

Nice work.

[Jazzman323]

10:30 AM on 02/05/2009

Zinni was just a tool for the left. No opposition to the Iraq War = no need for Zinni.

[sawdustinhershoes]

10:21 AM on 02/05/2009

Maybe someone realized the general was a bit unhinged???

[Binx101]

10:40 AM on 02/05/2009

Precisely Watson, one need only to read his own account and get a feeling for his temperament to understand this is NO diplomat.

Binx101
The Almost Daily Binx
http://binx101.wordpress.com

[MalloMel]

10:42 AM on 02/05/2009

Apparently he does have an emotional problem... kind of childish like. I think it may have been better that he was passed over.

We had eight years of some weird kind of psycho stuff running the country. We don't need any more of that, especially at this crucial time.

[sawdustinhershoes]

10:18 AM on 02/05/2009

The general had an obvious conflict of interest with his company receiving contracts in Iraq.

I believe it would have been much more of an issue if he were selected than is his whining in public that he wasn't picked.

Obama's people made the right choice.

This general needs to get a grip. His ego has outdone his intellect and he will be worse off for this little tirade than he would have been if he'd kept his mouth shut.

I f this general were truly a diplomat, he'd have acknowledged the obvious conflict of interest and removed HIMSELF from the pool as too controversial to be able to do a good job.

[theotherfringe]

10:08 AM on 02/05/2009

This doesn't seem like an Obama team problem. This sounds like an issue between Anthony Zinni and James L. Jones. Jones made the initial offer, but he didn't have the guts to contact Zinni immediately to let him know that the job was given to somebody else. It was sh*tty, but it happens.

[sawdustinhershoes]

10:22 AM on 02/05/2009

I agree. It makes the general's public dismay even more sad.