[Updated 2x] SOMETHING ELSE to file under "If Bush Had Done This:" Obama has nominated James B. Smith as new US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Smith is a senior officer at Raytheon, a core of the so-called "industrial-military complex" (oooooooo, scary) so dear to liberals. Just imagine the howls had Bush named, say, Erik Prince, of Blackwater, as ambassador to Iraq, or something.

UPDATE.  I had forgotten this: another Raytheon official, William Lynn III, was appointed as the Pentagon's no. 2. Remember what people said about Cheney and Halliburton? Won't hear the same indignation here, of course.

UPDATE II. This, from Smith's official bio, is interesting: " November 1990 - August 1991, assistant deputy commander for operations, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Va., and 4404th Provisional Wing, Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia"

Desert Storm started on January 17, 1991, which means Smith was on of the high ranking officers in the war.

Hope and change!