Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin add some more depth to the story of Jim Jones’ difficult transition to the job of National Security Adviser and the dueling profiles that came out this week in what seems, at least to the authors, like an administration effort to bolster the general’s standing in the press:
Obama was praised when he first announced his national security team for assembling the best and the brightest who also happened to be moderate and pragmatic. Jones shared in that praise, considered a centrist who could’ve ended up in the same job regardless who won the election. But it turns out that in order to keep the business of government running, it’s necessary to cut Jones out of the loop. No one is attacking Jones because of his views, he just isn’t pulling his weight, and it’s now clear that he’s a bad fit for that job. Obama owes it to the country to bring in a national security adviser who’s willing to work past 7 o’clock if necessary — someone who is willing to take a 3 am phone call.
