There are two ways to look at the installation of James Baker, his father's former secretary of state, in George W. Bush's White House. Either the president has finally found a temporary assignment attractive enough to persuade his old retainer to come and rescue him from his Middle East hot seat. Or, as the new special envoy in charge of reducing Iraq's $120 million debt, Baker has found a job that meets his need for a White House cap while he continues private conversations over oil and gas deals in Eurasia. Or both.

LRB 4 March 2004 | PDF Download