Grossman and other rumours

I read today that Marc Grossman, a very competent State Department professional, has been put in charge of the South Asia relief effort.  This is good news. 

But then I read Sid Blumenthal noting, in the course of his column about neoconservatives placing a hammerlock on the second Bush administration, that  "key senior State Department professionals, with long, promising careers presumably ahead of them, such as Marc Grossman, assistant secretary of state for European affairs, have abruptly resigned."

That would be bad.  The State Department desperately needs these competent professionals.   But is it true?  How could he be running the relief effort if he's just abruptly resigned?  Or is this a last mission before he leaves the Department?  Any State watchers out there know Grossman's status?

Oh, and on a similar topic (i.e. my not being in DC and hence out of the grapevine's loop), I've now heard the same rumour from half a dozen people - that Norman Pattiz (the guiding force behind Al Hurra and Radio Sawa) is on his way out at the Broadcasting Board of Governors and that he's none too happy about it. Anyone know the current status of that rumour?

Comments

[NJG from NYC]

I have a source in the State Department, whom I asked about some of these rumors last month, and he said it was a lot more noise and rumor than actual resignations.

[Greg Marchese]

It's hard to take Blumenthal too seriously when he doesn't even have his basic facts straight. Marc Grossman is the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, not the "assistant secretary of state for European affairs."

[the aardvark]

yeah, I'm kind of wondering if Blumenthal got Grossman mixed up with someone else.