old salt wrote:Ever read Thomas Ricks ? He referred to Jarrett as Obama's "foreign policy guru without portfolio" .MDlaxfan76 wrote: she was never given any sort of foreign policy responsibilities, so it's kind of ridiculous to compare her with Kushner and his supposed foreign policy portfolio.
She consulted with & advised him on everything.
But then you probably have better sources than Ricks.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/14/fo ... licy-team/
Ricks quotes Les Gelb in this link.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-o ... icy-chance
Of course you can find some reason to dismiss Gelb & Ricks, ...& go with wikipedia.
...& Gelb linked this :
https://www.thedailybeast.com/valerie-j ... acy-killer
Good lord, Rick's sole "source" is Les Gelb whose sole source is a very negative argument by James Poulos. No actual reporting.
None of them offer any actual basis to suggest that Jarett was a major advisor on foreign policy.
To say that she was Obama's closest advisor, other than perhaps Michelle, a "consigliere", is reasonable. And as such, Obama undoubtedly did discuss his pending decisions about foreign policy with her. Of course. Why would he not?
But is there any basis to believe that he weighed her counsel as "expert"? Nope.
Did she ever actually have any portfolio to take action in foreign policy, to represent the US is negotiations on foreign policy? Nope.
I'm sorry, but it's just a bridge way too far to try to compare the "portfolio" that Kushner has supposedly actually been given to represent the US in foreign policy negotiations, and Jarrett's role as close advisor to the President with no such "portfolio".