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.

___________________________