The Dead Drop

READY FOR HILLARY – The Dead Drop is very reliably informed that optimism in the Hillary Clinton camp is reaching epidemic proportions.  Why? Because the Republicans are fixated on this Trump fellow you may have heard about.  While general election voting is about 11 months away – some on Team Hillary are well along in dividing up the spoils…and talking about who will get what position postJanuary 20th.  Among those we hear in the running for national security positions are Michele Flournoy, an odds-on favorite for Secretary of Defense.  Anne-Marie Slaughter, a prime candidate for Secretary of State and Dr. Evelyn Farkas as a potential Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.  (Farkas left the Obama administration not long ago reportedly feeling that the current crowd were too soft on Russia, Ukraine etc).  To be fair, some boys are under consideration for national security jobs too.  Jim Steinberg, Hillary’s former deputy at State, could be a potential Secretary of State or National Security Advisor and Clinton campaign advisor Daniel Kurtz-Phelan could be one of the youngest National Security Advisors ever.  Clinton staffers are also busily calling around to retired flag and general officers fishing for endorsements and finding out who would like to be considered a player in staffing positions for POTUS 45.

PETRAEUS – NOT QUITE OUT OF THE WOODS YET.  The Washington Post and others reported this week that the Secretary of the Army has recommended no further punishment for General David Petraeus regarding the fact that he shared more than his opinions with his biographer. Most folks probably figured that this chapter was already closed – but The Dead Drop hears that there was a vigorous debate among senior uniformed Army personnel about whether Petraeus should be recalled to active duty to face charges for conduct unbecoming while he was in uniform. (Petraeus says his affair with Paula Broadwell began after his time on active duty – but some suspect that may not be the case.)  The final decision has to be made by Defense Secretary Ash Carter.  The betting here is that Carter will elect to skip any further Petraeus sanctions – everybody just wants to move on.