President Barack Obama appears to have surrendered his executive authority on all national defense matters to Gen. James L. Jones, his National Security Adviser – a post which requires no Senate confirmation.
In an article in today’s Washington Post, Jones details how he is transforming the National Security Council [1] to include more cabinet positions, of which he will preside over. Then, he, and only he, will provide the president with the outcome of those meetings.
Jones, a retired Marine general, made it clear that he will run the process and be the primary conduit of national security advice to Obama….
“The most important thing is that you are in fact the coordinator and you’re the guy around which the meetings occur. When we chair a principals meeting, I’m the chairman,” [Jones said].
Last I checked, wasn’t this called a cabinet meeting? And wasn’t the president supposed to chair those meetings, not an unchecked, unconfirmed adviser?