Marie Harf’s not very good season as deputy State Department spokesmodel just got worse. According to the Associated Press, Jen Psaki’s replacement has been named — and it’s not nearly as Harf-arsed as it could have been. It’s former Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby, who will be retiring from the military and moving into his new role at State.
The AP’s Matt Lee writes that Secretary of State John Kerry tapped Kirby to be agency’s new public face “because of his deep experience and knowledge of international issues and the fact that he is widely seen as … non-political.” That sounds like a dig at Harf, who received unwanted negative attention for her jobs for jihadists remarks.
The ever-smirking Psaki, whom Kirby is replacing, left State last month to become White House communications director.
So what is to become of the beleagured Harf? Lee says she “may remain in the building to handle broader strategic communications and press issues related to the ongoing Iran nuclear talks,” which makes it sound as though the media won’t have her to kick around any more.
The Daily Mail, which saw the handwriting on the wall days ago, predicted Harf would be passed over because of her repeated stumbles at the podium.
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