Kausfiles: A mostly political weblog.

1, 2, Many Zinnis

Monday, March 16, 2009

Saenz Zinnied: Hmm. If an NYT editorial did in Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary, did an Investor's Business Daily editorial do in Thomas Saenz, the former Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund attorney who was reportedly in line to become head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights division? Saenz seems to have been Zinnied--unselected at the last minute--and, according to his friend, L.A. supervisor Gloria Molina
 

"It was a political decision from the White House, because of Tom's work on immigration rights" ....  
 

Saenz helped hammer out the creepy liberal lawyers' conspiracy deal that wiped Prop. 187, which for good or ill was passed by California voters, off the books. (Prop. 187 would have barred illegals from receiving many government services.). I'm certainly glad that White House didn't pick Saenz as place to draw the line and not let appearances govern whom it gets to appoint. One wonders, as usual with this White House, whether appearances are all it is sensitive to. Mark Krikorian reports that Saenz's replacement, Maryland labor secretary Tom Perez, is a former president of the board of that state's "premier pro-illegal-immigration advocacy group." ... P.S.: If strident advocacy on behalf of illegals got Saenz Zinnied, what got Zinni Zinnied? In retrospect, maybe Zinni should ask Chas Freeman! Just a thought. ... 7:44 P.M.

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Who Whacked Tony?

You Have to Get All the Czars to Sign Off! There aren't many respected foreign policy machers who were right on the Iraq war (no) and on the surge (yes). This is no way to treat one of them. Sounds like someone blackballed him. ... The more important question of course is whether the career diplomat they are substituting for Gen. Zinni will be as good. ... [via Atlantic Politics Channel] 

Update: Michael Goldfarb fingers Holbrooke and Hillary. ... Meanwhile, Zinni says Obama had already called and congratulated him. ... Is Obama running the show? ... Correction: Foreign Policy has issued a correction, and now says it was Biden who called Zinni, not Obama.  "Biden Out of Loop" is definitely more Dog-bites-mannish than "Obama Out of Loop." Still. ...

P.S.: Yes, Zinni is a press favorite. He talks to reporters and they like him. It would be contrarian to say that just means he sucks up to journalists or gives good quotes or plays himself up, but I think being a press fave actually is a positive sign. Reporters tend to have good BS detectors. Press faves who've performed well in office include Gen. Petraeus and Gov. Rendell.. ... And FDR. ... [Update via Corner] 4:00 P.M.

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