A few months ago at an event for a group of youngish Democrats in DC, I ran into one of General Jim Jones's staffers at the US Chamber of Commerce. It's odd to find a Democrat at the US Chamber of Commerce, since that is one of the most partisan and ideologically conservative groups in the country. We had a nice chat, and he essentially led me on to believe that Jones was heading up the Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy to make some money after his time in the military. I don't know how much stock to put in this conversation, but it's quite common for generals to make money after leaving the military, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jones just didn't know or care that he was working for a hardcore conservative group. Military leaders respect industry leaders, and vice versa.
Anyway, this conversation became relevant recently because Jones is going to be Obama's National Security Advisor, and he'll place special emphasis on energy security. I have some background in the politics of climate change, so I spent time on the plane today reading through the recommendations of his energy center to get a sense of this man's priorities and thought processes. While I don't know him or how he works, after reading Jones's transition plan I have come to share the Center for American Progress's Brad Johnson's hope that Obama is setting energy policy and Jones is on the periphery of any policy formulation role.
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