WOODWARD SOURCE LEAVES THE ADMINISTRATION

Bob Woodward's Obama book hit the shops a week and a half ago, and
now General James Jones, the national security adviser, is leaving his post. What's the connection?

General Jones's departure had been long rumored, and he had previously indicated to his staff that he intended to leave by the end of the year. But the schedule was accelerated, and in recent weeks White House staff members had been increasingly critical of General Jones for statements that he apparently made to Bob Woodward, the author of "Obama’s Wars," an account of the internal decision making on policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I love that "apparently." In fact, Gabriel Sherman of The New Republic predicted more than a year ago that Jones would be a key Woodward source, back when it was known Woodward was writing an Obama book but it wasn't known what the subject would be -- because of what an absolutely smashing party guest Woodward though Jones was:

One possibility, and a potentially worrisome one for this administration, is that Woodward will choose to focus on national security--the area where Obama has always seemed hypersensitive about being portrayed as weak and directionless. If he does, a likely source could be Obama's national security adviser, Jim Jones. A couple of years ago, Jones was a guest of Woodward at his wife Elsa Walsh's fiftieth birthday party held at Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee's house. "He and Elsa were glued to Jones at the cocktail party before the dinner started," one attendee told me.

Jones's work is done now. Apparently he was working for the Village, not for the country.