Spent my day reporting on something for Danger Room that I know you're going to like. Before I did -- well, while -- I wrote this catch-all reaction to the Panetta/Petraeus moves. But let's get a little cynical.
Let's say you're President Obama, or maybe National Security Adviser Tom Donilon. You're wary of David Petraeus as an independent political actor. Dude hasn't undermined the White House in public, and in fact has taken great pains not to, even as his security prerogatives win out in subtler battles. But you never know.
Your top defense officials are about to leave. Having already commanded two wars and held a combatant command, there ain't many places to put Petraeus. You'd vastly prefer him inside the tent pissing out, especially with a reelection campaign coming up. What you'd optimally prefer is total Petraeus Bladder Control.
If only there was a cabinet-level job where the principal is rarely seen and rarely heard. If only there was a cabinet-level job that would require him not to be as open to his sizable constituency in the press. If only there was a cabinet-level job that would preoccupy him with a challenge far from his comfort zone, knowing that he's the kind of guy who cannot help but throw himself into challenges far from his comfort zone. If only there was a cabinet-level job that would send him into the world of negotiating with foreign intel services, letting him scratch his strategy-making itch far from Washington and totally in the shadows.
Just saying. But even so, there's that famous quote from the latest Woodward book where Petraeus slugs some wine and opines that, as Jadakiss put it so well, he's still not to be fucked with.
(Did someone make this point several hours ago? While I was working on my day job? Ah well, no regrets.)
Ayup ... and where is the Republican National Committee? Haven't they offered him first crack at the nomination yet? Why not? It's not like Sarah Palin could take it away from him. ;-)
Posted by: Znmeb | 04/27/2011 at 06:54 PM
Znmeb: first, Petraeus has given an almost Shermanesque denial of political ambition; second, he ain't a Republican. From what I can see, he's a Dem like the rest of hid protégés at CNAS.
Posted by: Paratrooper | 04/27/2011 at 07:04 PM
It's not a bad plan. Of course, it's predicated on hoping that the majority of the American public has forgotten that Petraeus was supposed to bring the Magic Surge Pixie Dust to Afghanistan and wrap shit up there tut suite. How'd that work out, anyway?
Posted by: Doctor Memory | 04/27/2011 at 10:21 PM
It's a nifty theory but I don't think it actually makes sense on its terms. What's in this for Petraeus unless he wanted this job or was convinced he really is needed in it? I feel like someone somewhere, possibly Petraeus, must have lobbied for this for some substantive reason. I think this because I take both P4 and POTUS to be serious people, and I just can't the the conversation happening wherein Obama looks P4 in the eye and tells him, "I need you at Langley, General. Your country needs you to direct the civilian intel service. No one else; it has to be you" ...when in fact the reasoning is entirely cynical and political. Many people will disagree with me about this, but I didn't think Spencer would be one. You could cut the bullshit in that room with a butter knife, and neither of these dudes would be unaware of it. Unless a good substantive case had been floated by the Admin to the general, or unless he independently believed he should be in the job I can't even see him viewing his responsibility to serve as ordered to extend to participating in an obvious exercise in crass movemaking in service of Obama's narrow political interests. If he doesn't want that job, what's in it for him? He has to retire from the organization he loves & rules in order to do it. And it was him who pretty much saved O's ass in Afghanistan after McChrystalgate; this is supposed to be payback to him, not payback to the president for accepting a demotion.
Posted by: Mike D. | 04/28/2011 at 04:03 AM
The positive spin: Petraeus has taken the job because he understands that the base for any COIN is intel, and the US intel both in Iraq and in Af/Pak has been horrible. Hes there to fix it, not own it.
Negative spin: DoD just took over CIA, and militarized it back to the good old OSS days. Its now a military branch.
Posted by: Fnord | 04/28/2011 at 05:09 AM
Quoting "Jadakiss"... that's priceless
Posted by: Bob @ security guard training | 08/01/2011 at 08:25 AM
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Runtime error | 01/25/2012 at 10:29 PM
Petraeus has taken the job because he understands that the base for any COIN is intel, and the US intel both in Iraq and in Af/Pak has been horrible. Hes there to fix it, not own it.
Posted by: mother's day wallpaper | 05/10/2012 at 11:32 PM