Kushner put in his place

There's no real contest when a retired four star Marine Corps general is set against a flippertijibett young businessman even if the latter is the son-in-law of the president of the United States. Sure enough, after months of trying to sort out the chain of command in the White House, General John Kelly, chief of staff, has reigned in Jared Kushner and basically told him what he can and can't do in terms of representing the Trump administration. There was a period when Kushner seemed to have his fingers in every pie, whether it was Russia or China or the Middle East or Afghanistan. He could see or chat to his father-in-law whenever he wanted and generally ruled the roost, as it were. He was Chief Chicken!! Under the previous chief of staff he got away with it. But Kelly really has stamped his authority on the White House, and Kushner, being an official loose cannon, definitely did not fit into his way of doing things. He must have got fed up with Kushner waltzing into the Oval Office and bending Trump's ear the whole time. He had the same trouble with Steve Bannon when he was running all over the shop as Trump's chief strategist. There's nothing a four star general hates more than chaotic management. Generals like firm lines that are all joined up in proper mathematical fashion. There's no room for freelancers and that's how Kelly would have viewed Kushner and Bannon. Powerful and influential freelancers getting in the way of sound judgments and strict management. Trump, like all US presidents, needs structure, even though Donald T probably doesn't believe in structured administration. Just look at his Tweets. I'm sure Kushner will continue to have a key advisory role, but it will now be firmly constrained within the Kelly management format. It's quite a victory on Kelly's part. The chain of command has been set in concrete and woe betide anyone who tries to slip into the Oval Office without Kelly's permission! Kushner has struck up a good relationship with the Saudi Crown Prince and I expect that channel will be exploited to best advantage, so the Trump son-in-law will still have his uses. But he now knows who is boss, and I'm not talking about Father-in-Law Trump.