With Hillary Clinton having begun to staff the State Department (with two Jewish deputies – one of whom is from the Orthodox community, no less), the jockeying for influential posts continues amongst wanna-be diplomats; while pundits with their own tilt on issues tout their favorites.

TIME Magazine’s Cairo correspondent, Scott MacLeod today pushes for Dan Kurtzer’s appointment over Dennis Ross’ because, in MacLeod’s view, Ross has been a party to failed U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Arab conflict, while Kurzter has acknowledged it and is prepared to change its direction — to one, of course, with which MacLeod approves of.

—