General Jim Jones offered Zinni the Baghdad post. But a week later, Zinni was still twisting in the wind. We now know he was passed over in favor of Christopher Hill, leading the New Republic to describe the final exchange thusly:
an Obama appointment gone awry, which concludes with a respected general suggesting the national security advisor perform an anatomically difficult feat.
Not very nice perhaps. But we have to agree with Charlie. That was a good euphemism.