Gen. Jones has experience for National Security job

Washington Post:

If President-elect Barack Obama turns to James L. Jones Jr. to be his national security adviser, his administration would gain someone whose career spans much of the contemporary security landscape.

During 40 years in the Marine Corps, Jones, 64, rose from being a platoon and company commander in Vietnam to Marine commandant. In the international realm, he has served as supreme allied commander of NATO and as a special envoy for Middle East security. In the public policy arena, he has chaired the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, a congressionally appointed panel that assessed the readiness of Iraqi troops.

Since retiring from the Marines last year as a highly decorated four-star general, Jones has worked on energy issues as the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy.

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In a recent speech to the National Defense Industrial Association, Jones said the next administration should broaden the council's role to encompass more energy matters. Currently, the council, which meets with the president and vice president, includes intelligence officials as well as officials from the Defense, State and Treasury departments.

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During his ascent through the Marine Corps, Jones held a wide range of posts, including company commander in Okinawa, Japan, Marine Corps liaison officer to the U.S. Senate, deputy director of the U.S. European Command and military assistant to Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen.

Jones was born in Kansas City, Mo., but he spent his formative years in France, where his father sold farm machinery. The 6-foot-4-inch Jones is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he played on the school's basketball team. He is also a graduate of the National War College.

A Marine who speaks real French? That sounds pretty dangerous for the French.

Jones was an outstanding officer, otherwise he would not have had all those career achievements. He is probably right about making energy a national security issue, but he will have the misfortune of working with Democrats whose only energy agenda is magic rather than the hard job of actually producing it.