I'm not going to get into rumor dissection but I must say that every little reminder that Bush and his Merrie Phuckups will soon GtFo of D.C. makes me insanely happy.

I disagree, Steve. Definitely disagree. For exactly the reason Ackerman touts him.

Nothing personal with Jones, but I don't like the mindset, nor the image it may project abroad, of having a career military man as NSA. Not sure when that last happened, if ever in the post-1947 DoD reorganization of the executive.

Powell, Poindexter, and Scowcroft were all NSAs who were career military, and there may be more I don't know of offhand. You may argue with just how good they were at the job, but there is certainly precedent.

There are many possible backgrounds for the job (academic, government [of many stipes], military), and no one will have all of them. The important thing is that Obama find someone he can work with, who will deliver information in a manner that is useful to the executive.

He sounds very well qualified, so perhaps it is mere sentiment that makes me want to see it be Wes Clark, who is equally qualified. But I think it's clear that there is something about Clark that Obama doesn't like, and I've had to accept that.

I don't see any problem with a former career military person as NSA--as noted, several others have in fact held the post before. Also not sure what the problem would be with the "image" it projects abroad, any more than having a former career military person as Sec. of State, Defense, or head of the CIA.

What about Wes Clark? Obama's going to pass up the smartest American general since Omar Bradley? Maybe he doesn't like him because he's smarter than he is. Clark was #1 at West Point; Kid Stardust sure wasn't #1 at Harvard Law.

Hey, anyone who could write From Here to Eternity, make retirement as a Marine general, and survive the Jonestown Massacre with his rep intact, should be able to manage the NSC.

Same guy, right?

Berken, no he is not the James Jones who wrote From Here to Eternity. That James Jones was a WWII Army combat vet, and he is deceased. Interesting that in addition to his military acheivements, General James Jones spent his childhood in France, and speaks fluent French. He also went to Georgetown and played on the Hoyas basketall team.

Wes Clark has a reputation within the Pentagon as a prima donna diva. It's all about Wes Clark. It's not useful having a person who's not respected by the defense establishment.

On the last item about Clinton's campaign debt, would that mean that Mark Penn would get stiffed? That's another reason for Clinton to be Secretary of State.

Afghanistan will be Obama's Vietnam.

Kid Stardust sure wasn't #1 at Harvard Law.

No, he was only editor of the Harvard Law Review. They only give that job to idiots.

Since Jones is the fifth commonest surname in America and at the time he was born James was probably in the top ten of male given names, it's highly likely that there tens of thousands of people named "James Jones" in this country.

Never heard the "prima donna diva" suggestion about Clark and I've been an avid clarkie for 9 years. Sounds to me more like those one or two Republican generals who were out to get him when he was working there --- and succeeded.

Clark's reputation was known widely when he was SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe), before his political affiliation before public knowledge. I was working on the Army staff in the Pentagon at the time, and this was well known by us. I voted for Obama, so I'm not the type to want him to make a bad choice. I think Jones is an excellent pick from what he has said and done.