Laura Rozen has some terrific backstory on the strange tale of an Obama appointment gone awry, which concludes with a respected general suggesting the national security advisor perform an anatomically difficult feat.
Based on her account, I'm guessing this was a case of nervousness about another high-profile appointee with a big corporate connection. Regardless, one does wonder what happened to the flawless Obama machine of the '08 campaign.
--Michael Crowley