Obama picks Leon Panetta to head CIA

[helomech]

WASHINGTON – Two Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to run the CIA.
Panetta was a surprise pick for the post, with no experience in the intelligence world. An Obama transition official and another Democrat disclosed his nomination on a condition of anonymity since it was not yet public.
Panetta was director of the Office of Management and Budget and a longtime congressman from California.
He served on the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that released a report at the end of 2006 with dozens of recommendations for the reversing course in the Iraq war.
Panetta currently directs with his wife Sylvia the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay a university he helped establish on the site of the former U.S. Army base, Fort Ord.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090105/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_director


What the **** is that ^^^^^^ all about?!

[Jobu]

Source? ..?

[Ordie]

Hurray for California!!!!!!

[ronnieraygun]

in washington post. weird. will this be a good thing somehow?

[Jobu]

in washington post. weird. will this be a good thing somehow?


Sure it can be a good thing to have a guy with no intel experience in charge of the CIA reporting to a guy with no executive experience sitting in the oval office.

:cantbeli:

But hey, at least he's another Clinton crony added to the administration. Nothing says "change" like moving the same old people around to sit in different chairs.

Obama spent his entire life running for President and when he finally won, he had no plan.
Oh well, let's just put all the old Clinton people in there.

Change we can believe in, just like we believe in Santa Claus.

[sinophile]

You appoint an outsider in one of 4 situations:

1. You believe the organization will undermine you, and you want them focused on a war with their new leader.

2. You believe they're dirty or utterly dysfunctional and you want to attempt a reform. In this case the appointment of Panetta would suggest a huge amount of procurement waste that needs to be addressed.

3. The candidates you really wanted wouldn't accept.

4. You think the Senate won't confirm this appointment and you want them to blow their wad on this candidate, easing the way for your second appointment.

My bet is #4.

[Firefly26]

What the F*... Yeah it better be number 4, and with a serious wager next time. I didn't like his secretary of education but lived with it, but this is insanity. Did Richardson's withdrawal shake him up or what?

[LineDoggie]

"CHANGE"....... :roll:

The "Yes We Can" part must mean, Billary part Deux.....

[USMCRTop]

My bet is #3

[sinophile]

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Senate’s incoming Intelligence committee chair, slammed President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta as director of the CIA Monday.

Looking like #4.

[California Joe]

That is a very weird pick. It's like picking some redneck broad for VP...Oh wait...:)

I thought he was doing OK with his picks in general, but that one screams retarded. Maybe he's looking for a really good manager for the real professionals already in the agency? I know the careerist types really hate political appointees that think they know how to do the job better. But it's still very hard to defend his rationale behind this...

[Ordie]

Richardson would be good for CIA.
But it would be prudent to clean up his house and state first before the end of his term next year.

Panetta is a good policymaker from Monterey. It is the home of the Naval Postgraduate School and the Defense Language Institute. It is also the home of the Monterey School of International Studies.

Every year the World Affair Council hosts an annual conference at Asilomar (Monterey) with a who's who of speakers in international relations.

Leon Panetta is usually within the mix and is connected.

[SBL]

I agree, a strange choice. Perhaps an attempt to put a reformist's face on the CIA? I hope it doesn't stick.

[Firefly26]

Leon Panetta is usually within the mix and is connected.

That's some optimistic speculation right there. I think this guy charmed Obama with his Iraq solutions, and now Obama blinded by faith, is trusting him with the power of the agency. He would do better with a good GS-14. I think this pick shows just how much he intends to do with the CIA.

[Ordie]

That's some optimistic speculation right there. I think this guy charmed Obama with his Iraq solutions, and now Obama blinded by faith, is trusting him with the power of the agency. He would do better with a good GS-14. I think this pick shows just how much he intends to do with the CIA.

The CIA's boss had been an active duty Air Force General (now retired). From what I understand there has been a transformation within the agency. The next step is to attract the best, the brightest and the most flexible talent from the same pool of people who would otherwise be attracted to Silicon Valley.

[Red]

You don't put someone like Leon Panetta at the helm of your external "eyes and ears" in a time like this. This has to be one of the most bone headed things I've seen this year and the year is just 5 days old.

[Firefly26]

The CIA's boss had been an active duty Air Force General (now retired). From what I understand there has been a transformation within the agency. The next step is to attract the best, the brightest and the most flexible talent from the same pool of people who would otherwise be attracted to Silicon Valley.

I know. I was just way more comfortable with Hayden than this. Might as well nominate some 14 year old super hacker with these standards. This is like when we get some intern with an agriculture degree making 11 and having to listen to them.

[Laworkerbee]

You don't put someone like Leon Panetta at the helm of your external "eyes and ears" in a time like this. This has to be one of the most bone headed things I've seen this year and the year is just 5 days old.

Thanks Red, my thoughts exactly.

[Hispeed1]

Thanks Red, my thoughts exactly.

+100 for that-Red and Cali Joe. My point also.
"Panetta was a surprise pick for the post, with no experience in the intelligence world."

[LineDoggie]

Kee-rist

Hillary Clinton as Sec State

Leon Panetta as CIA head????? why not Mister Rogers

Eric "Marc Rich" Holder as Atty Gen

Hope Obama picks his AF1 pilot from someone who can actually fly. So far all he's done is hold a Clinton WH reunion without regard for Skillz

[socom6]

Pfftt.. Panetta as CIA head. Bad move there.

[11 Bravo]

Panetta is a good policymaker from Monterey. Leon Panetta is usually within the mix and is connected.

I guess you did not pay attention during the clinton years... Leon Panette is virtually another Rahm clone... only more partisan if that is possible. I have not forgot panetta and his time under the clinton cloud.
Well yes he's connected, he's part and parcel of the clinton ring knockers guild the proof being he's back in the whitehouse circle again.

[philbob]

I guess you did not pay attention during the clinton years... Leon Panette is virtually another Rahm clone... only more partisan if that is possible. I have not forgot panetta and his time under the clinton cloud.
Well yes he's connected, he's part and parcel of the clinton ring knockers guild the proof being he's back in the whitehouse circle again.

hey what goes around comes around

[sinophile]

The CIA's boss had been an active duty Air Force General (now retired). From what I understand there has been a transformation within the agency. The next step is to attract the best, the brightest and the most flexible talent from the same pool of people who would otherwise be attracted to Silicon Valley.

Yawn. Tried it under George Tenet and Porter Goss. Its been written they had a hard time retaining strong talent. Too much bureaucracy, too little risk-taking and the allure of higher paying contractor positions with companies like Abraxis drained the talent pool.

In a nutshell you read a lot Ordie, but not enough.

[Dominique]

You appoint an outsider in one of 4 situations:

1. You believe the organization will undermine you, and you want them focused on a war with their new leader.

2. You believe they're dirty or utterly dysfunctional and you want to attempt a reform. In this case the appointment of Panetta would suggest a huge amount of procurement waste that needs to be addressed.

3. The candidates you really wanted wouldn't accept.

4. You think the Senate won't confirm this appointment and you want them to blow their wad on this candidate, easing the way for your second appointment.

My bet is #4.

From what I understand, it's pretty close to #2. They wanted someone who could help them distance themselves from the Bush administration, had a strong management background, and was familiar to them and they way they want to run things. If he gets approved, it'll be interesting to see what types of changes he'll make.

[gaijinsamurai]

Agree with Red and all the others, in disbelief over the stupidity of this appointment.

[ren0312]

So where do I send my resume to apply for the position of CINCPACFLT?

[ImperialGrunt831]

As a native of Monterey, I can say this will in no way be good for the CIA.

[sinophile]

From what I understand, it's pretty close to #2. They wanted someone who could help them distance themselves from the Bush administration, had a strong management background, and was familiar to them and they way they want to run things. If he gets approved, it'll be interesting to see what types of changes he'll make.

Ponder this... The CIA may have outsourced its capabilities to such an extent that what's required to run the organization is effectively an accountant. Perhaps Panetta is, contrary to my earlier thinking, just the right choice.

Have a look at www.thespywhobilledme.com and http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080623/scahill .... you reward outsourcing and punish risk-taking enough and this is what you get.

Man, I hope I'm wrong.

[helomech]

Even though the position of DCI is a figurehead position,this choice to be the DCI smacks of dumbassedness;they say they want a cleanup of leadership and practices within the Agency sure,but you could still do it with someone with someone within the intelligence community because not everyone in the intelligence community is a rabid dog;you do have people who are middle of the road,forward leaning thinkers

www.thespywhobilledme.com (http://www.thespywhobilledme.com) ?That website is some chick screaming "attention whore1"



Ponder this... The CIA may have outsourced its capabilities to such an extent that what's required to run the organization is effectively an accountant


You make it sound like the Agency has contracted all of it's work out to Blackwater.Do you know this to be fact?Don't believe everything you read.

As far as Blackwater goes,they will slowly start to lose more contracts as time goes on.They won't be able to stand up to the 50 plus shooting incidents they've involved in over the last 5 or so years

[usa320]

w....t....f.....?

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Looking at the guys profile he looks like he can bring people together and get them to work with each other which given the partisan and fragmented state of the US intel community might be a worthy trait. He aslo seems to have been inducted into the intel community at some point probably during his Army service so once in never out.

[SOG]

Looking like #4.

Interesting. At least she didn't just play along. That's good of her. She might be a liberal biotch but when it comes down to it she is a patriot.


Richardson would be good for CIA.
But it would be prudent to clean up his house and state first before the end of his term next year.

This guy is a pure pedigree ****up when it comes to California. Arnold has been battling these dimwits his entire tenure as governor trying to enforce fiscal responsibility with hardly any luck whatsoever. So the fact this guy has never done jack in the cia or anything like it and was nominated to run head of it is stunning especially considering his "oh so wonderful" past record.

Option #5: Devils due. Give your friends a free ride. It's all about hob knobbing. But maybe Obama is smarter than he lets on and it really is option #4. I'm willing to wait and see.

Oh, and the pullout recommendation in the middle of Iraq, genius study group right there. I wonder how wonderfully stable Iraq and the ME would be right now in a full blown civil war with Iran wreaking havoc next door.


Looking at the guys profile he looks like he can bring people together and get them to work with each other which given the partisan and fragmented state of the US intel community might be a worthy trait. He aslo seems to have been inducted into the intel community at some point probably during his Army service so once in never out.

Having lived in California my entire life I have to say we are not a shining example of working together especially our politicians with pork padding and spending when they can't agree to disagree. The only thing that saved California from becoming an utter trash heap is its location on the coast as an import and business powerhouse. And we've managed to ruin that to a fair degree. I hope that changes but our politicians are dragging their feet as they are firmly entrenched with powerful unions and special interest groups.

[Zoomie]

More dopes and lack of change from Obama!

[LordKitchener]

Sounds like Obama is trying to rein in the CIA by giving the top job to one of his monkey boys.

[Jacknola]

This is worse than it first appears... Panetta is not an experienced “manager and conciliator,” he has managed exactly nothing. He is first a foremost a certified partisan Democratic party loyalist... and he is a committed Clintonista.

How would people react if Carl Rove was appointed to head the CIA or ... say ... the FBI? Leon Panetta is “Carl Rove in Democratic drag.” I am getting very uncomfortable here. The intent clearly seems to politicize the CIA. The next steps could be doing the same to the FBI and the armed forces.

We have already seen the apparent polarization of the Armed Forces during the Clinton years with the appearence of “Clinton Generals” who were suspected of being promoted based on their political beliefs or loyalty rather than military competence.

The Clintons introduced political correctness into the most minute areas of the Government... such as the White House travel office. Do you recall that one of the first acts of the Clinton administration was to require the resignation of every single US Attorney, nationwide? Does anyone remember the Clinton era spying and data gathering on “enemys?”

But... this the most disturbing, flagrant example of this trend yet ... a committed party partisan, who also is a key member of a power-hungry "FACTION" of that party, placed in control of the agency.

Given the depth of the corruption of the Clintonistas... (remember Sandy Berger, the 'pardons,' Mr. Clinton's world-wide association with international dictators and questionable gangster-types?) ... it stinks of potential corruption.

Ugh... no wonder even other Democrats are holding their noses.

[Dominique]

You make it sound like the Agency has contracted all of it's work out to Blackwater.Do you know this to be fact?Don't believe everything you read.

The CIA has made use of a a number of contractors, and will continue to do so in the future, but I'm not sure how you figure Blackwater is the primary contractor.


As far as Blackwater goes,they will slowly start to lose more contracts as time goes on.They won't be able to stand up to the 50 plus shooting incidents they've involved in over the last 5 or so years

How did you go from a discussion of the DCI pick, to beating up on BW?

[LineDoggie]

I was just reading some spin that "justify's" Panetta's Nomination.

The spin is that since any In-House Qualified Candidates committed "war crimes" by the use of seekrut "prizones", the agency will be needing a "Purge" of criminals to the trials at the hague to restore world trust in the USA :roll:

[Laworkerbee]

I was just reading some spin that "justify's" Panetta's Nomination.

The spin is that since any In-House Qualified Candidates committed "war crimes" by the use of seekrut "prizones", the agency will be needing a "Purge" of criminals to the trials at the hague to restore world trust in the USA :roll:

Sweet, the Church committee hearings all over again. :roll:

[California Joe]

Politics aside, I see Obama as a pretty shrewd guy. This just doesn't jive with that. This really is an out of left field appointment. Feinstein is all butthurt because they didn't consult her first and lets be clear here, when a new administration comes in everything is a powerplay.

Jack, I'm pretty sure most incoming Presidents fire all of the previous administrations US Attorneys. At least that's what I understand...Kinda stupid but it is politics...I agree though, it's like putting Karl in charge. I just don't get it. It's not a smart pick at all.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

The CIA is a mess, which is a tragedy in itself. This won't help.

[11 Bravo]

Looking at the guys profile he looks like he can bring people together and get them to work with each other which given the partisan and fragmented state of the US intel community might be a worthy trait. He aslo seems to have been inducted into the intel community at some point probably during his Army service so once in never out.


You sure would make a good Propaganda guy for panetta... have you sent him your resume yet ?.

[LineDoggie]

You sure would make a good Propaganda guy for panetta... have you sent him your resume yet ?.


WOW, is that amazing or what. 1LT. Panetta spent 2 years in uniform (anyone know his MOS or unit?) during the buildup of a war which chewed up Junior Officers, got released and because of that is suddenly some Intel Guru.

[delio]

Here's David Ignatius take on it, ..






A Surprise for Langley (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602826.html?hpid=opinionsbox1)





By David Ignatius (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/david+ignatius/)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009; Page A15


On its face, it's a puzzling choice: Barack Obama (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Barack+Obama?tid=informline) selects as his spy chief a former congressman with no firsthand experience as an intelligence professional. Is Obama dissing the CIA (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Central+Intelligence+Agency?tid=informline)? Is he further politicizing this badly bruised agency? What signal is he sending by picking Leon Panetta (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Leon+Panetta?tid=informline) as CIA director?

Here's the message, according to Obama's advisers: Panetta is a Washington heavyweight with the political clout to protect the agency and help it rebuild after a traumatic eight years under George Bush (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/George+W.+Bush?tid=informline), when it became a kind of national pincushion.

"Leon is not going to preside over the demise of the CIA," explains one member of the Obama transition team. "The CIA needs to have someone who can represent them well."

This argument for Panetta makes sense. Ideally, the next CIA director would have been an experienced professional -- someone like Steve Kappes, the veteran case officer who now serves as deputy director. But the reality is that the professionals now lack the political muscle to fend off the agency's critics and second-guessers. That's the heart of the problem: The agency needs to rebuild political support before it can be depoliticized.

The Panetta choice illustrates, once again, Obama's desire for strong personalities in key jobs. As White House (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/The+White+House?tid=informline) chief of staff during the second Clinton term, Panetta was one of the few people who could discipline the omnivorous President Bill Clinton (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Bill+Clinton?tid=informline). He sat in on the daily intelligence briefings as chief of staff, and he reviewed the nation's most secret intelligence-collection and covert-action programs in his previous post as director of the Office of Management and Budget (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/U.S.+Office+of+Management+and+Budget?tid=informline).




Both Kappes and his boss, retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Michael+Hayden?tid=informline), wanted the nod. Both were rejected -- partly because they were seen as too connected to the policies of the past and partly because they lacked political heft. Hayden had worked hard to improve morale at Langley and to make friends on Capitol Hill (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Capitol+Hill?tid=informline), but in the insular CIA culture he remained something of an outsider.

Obama's advisers say they want Kappes to continue as deputy. And in another sign that Obama doesn't see previous CIA service as a disqualification, John Brennan (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/John+Brennan?tid=informline), who was a top aide to former CIA Director George Tenet (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/George+Tenet?tid=informline), is likely to be offered a senior position on the National Security Council (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/White+House+National+Security+Council?tid=informline) staff. Brennan, the head of Obama's transition team on intelligence, was forced to withdraw from consideration as CIA director when liberal critics complained he was too closely tied to Bush-era policies.

A quick survey of CIA sources indicated support for Panetta among a workforce that is notoriously prickly -- and that has demonstrated an ability to sabotage bosses it doesn't like. "Thank goodness it's not a military guy," said one former officer, who, like some other colleagues, had resented the growing role of former military officers such as Hayden as CIA director and retired Adm. Mike McConnell (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Mike+McConnell?tid=informline) as director of national intelligence.

Complementing the Panetta nomination is the choice of Dennis Blair (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Dennis+Blair?tid=informline) to succeed McConnell as DNI. Blair is another retired admiral, but Obama's advisers say he will bring a "light touch" to his new job of coordinating the intelligence community. They insist he won't try to duplicate CIA management functions, as McConnell was sometimes accused of doing.

Blair's mission, according to Obama's advisers, will be to streamline the 2004 intelligence reorganization that created the DNI structure to oversee the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. In the view of one key member of the Obama team, that reorganization "currently verges on dysfunction," with too many people on the DNI staff and too much internal bickering.

Blair is likely to move quickly to reduce the number of personnel and contractors in the DNI bureaucracy, and to make other changes that signal he wants a leaner and more disciplined organization.

With the high-profile Panetta at CIA and the low-key Blair at DNI, the relative balance in the intelligence community would shift a bit, in the CIA's favor. The point of contact for foreign intelligence services will be the CIA, in Washington and overseas, according to the Obama team. That will please both agency officers and foreign spy chiefs who have complained about the confusion created by McConnell's overreaching DNI staff.

Obama doesn't have any background in intelligence, but insiders say that since the election, he has been immersing himself in the murky world of secret operations with his characteristic lawyerly diligence. He made a surprising decision in picking Panetta, but on balance, a good one.

The writer is co-host of PostGlobal (http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/), an online discussion of international issues. His e-mail address is davidignatius@washpost.com.

[Jobu]

It will be interesting to see if and how the CIA push back on this.

We all saw how they reacted to Porter Goss being appointed. The agency became a sieve. There were so many leaks that Bush had to give in and ask for Goss's resignation. In went Hayden, the old guard at the CIA were happy, and the leaks stopped.

I expect we'll be seeing something similiar.

[LineDoggie]

Sandy Burglar endorses this nomination

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602867.html?wprss=rss_politics

[armchairpundit]

You make it sound like the Agency has contracted all of it's work out to Blackwater.Do you know this to be fact?Don't believe everything you read.
Not all work but quite a bit and not Blackwater, SAIC (http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/spyagency200703).

There are more employees at SAIC with security clearance than the total estimated workforce of CIA.

[Laworkerbee]

Sandy Burglar endorses this nomination

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602867.html?wprss=rss_politics

I feel better already.

[Atlantic Friend]

WOW, is that amazing or what. 1LT. Panetta spent 2 years in uniform (anyone know his MOS or unit?) during the buildup of a war which chewed up Junior Officers, got released and because of that is suddenly some Intel Guru.

Well, to be fair didn't **** Cheney get 5 military service deferments during that same war ? And yet he became SecDef...

Donald Rumsfeld's military records were also rather light-weight, and he too became SecDef (and not necessarily a bad one either apparently), so...

[Laworkerbee]

Quiet Frenchy.

[Atlantic Friend]

Quiet Frenchy.

Stop spewing sense, you mean ? ;)

[Laworkerbee]

Stop spewing sense, you mean ? ;)

If I can't argue with a Frenchman then I don't want to live any longer.

[Atlantic Friend]

If I can't argue with a Frenchman then I don't want to live any longer.

May I suggest Bourgundy wine as your suicide weapon ? I'm sure I could find some pretty good bottles. Ah, of course it may be a tad long to actually die from it, but... ;)

[Laworkerbee]

May I suggest Bourgundy wine as your suicide weapon ? I'm sure I could find some pretty good bottles. Ah, of course it may be a tad long to actually die from it, but... ;)

But it would be a nice ride out :)

[Breakfast in Vegas]

May I suggest Bourgundy wine as your suicide weapon ? I'm sure I could find some pretty good bottles. Ah, of course it may be a tad long to actually die from it, but... ;)If you can get some good Bordeaux count me in.

[Atlantic Friend]

But it would be a nice ride out :)

Oh, definitely ! Add some nice local food and equally nice local demoiselles and I daresay it'll be a suicide worth coming back from the grave.

As for Mr Panetta, the relevancy of his military records notwithstanding, his past appointment as White House Chief of Staff sure makes it sound the Oval Office doesn't trust the CIA. It's most certainly unfortunate, but is it that surprising, in the aftermath of Curveball and the slanted intelligence on Iraq ?

[Atlantic Friend]

If you can get some good Bordeaux count me in.

It's a deal. I'll throw in some Anjou for variety's sake. Thus equipped, we should be able to analyze every single detail of Leon Panetta's biography.

[LineDoggie]

Well, to be fair didn't **** Cheney get 5 military service deferments during that same war ? And yet he became SecDef... Well to be really fair, Joe Biden has those SAME 5 Deferments


Donald Rumsfeld's military records were also rather light-weight, and he too became SecDef (and not necessarily a bad one either apparently), so... Retiring in the US Navy Rank of Captain O-6 (NATO OF-5) isnt Lightweight my friend, the next promotion would have been Rear Admiral (Lower Half O-7)(NATO OF-6 ). He was a Flight Instructor and qualified Naval Aviator

[Laworkerbee]

Oh, definitely ! Add some nice local food and equally nice local demoiselles and I daresay it'll be a suicide worth coming back from the grave.

As for Mr Panetta, the relevancy of his military records notwithstanding, his past appointment as White House Chief of Staff sure makes it sound the Oval Office doesn't trust the CIA. It's most certainly unfortunate, but is it that surprising, in the aftermath of Curveball and the slanted intelligence on Iraq ?

Too be honest this article made it seem much more clear to me http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showpost.php?p=3819254&postcount=44

I don't feel too good whenever Sandy Berger raises his head from the garbage heap how ever.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

It's a deal. I'll throw in some Anjou for variety's sake. Thus equipped, we should be able to analyze every single detail of Leon Panetta's biography.Do I still have to die? And if I do, can you make sure LAWB does too? It's the right thing to do.

[Laworkerbee]

Do I still have to die? And if I do, can you make sure LAWB does too? It's the right thing to do.

You're an American just living in Germany right? it just wouldn't feel right dying next to a German and enjoying myself at the same time.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

You're an American just living in Germany right? it just wouldn't feel right dying next to a German and enjoying myself at the same time.I'm as yankee as they get, but we could just drink AF's wine and not die after all. That's cool with me.

Oh and that Leon Panetta... I'm not really happy with that choice.

[Atlantic Friend]

Do I still have to die? And if I do, can you make sure LAWB does too? It's the right thing to do.

Ah. How could I break it gently ?

Yes, you still have to die. We ALL still have to die. So we might as well live before we do ! ;)

[Atlantic Friend]

Well to be really fair, Joe Biden has those SAME 5 Deferments

He was SecDef ? ;)


Retiring in the US Navy Rank of Captain O-6 (NATO OF-5) isnt Lightweight my friend, the next promotion would have been Rear Admiral (Lower Half O-7)(NATO OF-6 ). He was a Flight Instructor and qualified Naval Aviator

I am not belittling his accomplishments. I just meant he hadn't held some special command, and (as I pointed out) that didn't make him a bad SecDef either. You were saying "how come st LT Panetta suddenly is deemed worthy to head the CIA ?". Apparently the same question could have been asked of **** Cheney, or of Donald Rumsfeld. I am sure there were plenty of more senior officers around, with lots of experience under their belt.

I have a cousin in the French Navy, he has commanded an attack sub, and a boomer, and now he's at the helm of a desk with the rank of rear-Admiral. A fine officer. Still, should the President of the French republic appoint him Minister of Defense, I'd be the first one to wonder out loud why he hasn't picked an officer who, for example, held a major command during a military operation.

[SOG]

More funny for your money:

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday she intends to support President-elect Barack Obama's choice for CIA chief, Leon Panetta, despite earlier comments that she had reservations about the choice.

Obama chose Panetta, a former White House chief of staff who has no formal background in the intelligence community, without consulting with Feinstein. Obama later apologized to her for the lapse.

Feinstein said in an interview Wednesday that she spoke with Panetta, a fellow Californian, for about 20 minutes on Tuesday evening and came away reassured.

It gets better:

Feinstein said in an interview Wednesday that she spoke with Panetta, a fellow Californian, for about 20 minutes on Tuesday evening and came away reassured.

"I had a good discussion with him. I'm confident that he understands. I am supportive," Feinstein said. "I've known him for 20 years. I know him to be a man of credibility and a man of conscience and a man of talent, and I believe he will surround himself with top-notch staff from the intelligence community."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/07/feinstein-backs-panetta-f_n_156025.html

So she's known him for 20 years, did not back him, talked to him for 20 minutes and flip flopped. All good. Were good.



CIA Man: Spies' Reaction to Panetta "Overwhelmingly Negative"
A retired senior CIA operations officer who quit last summer after 20 years tracking terrorists says the rank-and-file reaction to President-elect Obama's choice of Leon E.Panetta to run the spy agency has been "overwhelmingly negative."

Charles "Sam" Faddis, who led a CIA team into northern Iraq before the 2003 invasion, says he had "already heard from a large number of rank and file within CIA on this choice, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/07/panetta-gets-overwhelming_n_155961.html

Or maybe:

If You Think Panetta's Wrong For CIA, You Might Be Part Of The Problem

Finally, adult supervision comes to CIA.

The announcement Monday afternoon that the Obama team had named veteran Democratic politician Leon Panetta as CIA Director was greeted by the national security reporters and bloggers first with surprise and derision, then with grudging acknowledgement of the value he is likely to bring to the job.

Panetta's nomination was unexpected because of the conventional wisdom that holds that any new CIA Director or Director of National Intelligence absolutely must boast a lengthy intelligence pedigree, and that nothing less will do. Senior Congressional Democrats have signaled their displeasure with the Panetta pick, but as Joan Walsh at Salon.com points out, these same Democratic leaders have knowingly aided and abetted the worst Bush intelligence practices. Among the more persistent worries about Panetta's nomination is how Republicans, national security hawks, and intelligence professionals will use his lack of intelligence experience and history with the Clinton administration to paint Panetta as a lightweight and national security pansy.

The reporting on the Panetta pick has breathed life into another bit of half-baked conventional wisdom, which maintains that Obama's first and best pick for intelligence chief, John Brennan, ought to be having his day in the sun instead of Panetta. The legend goes that treacherous lefty moonbats derailed Brennan's nomination by unfairly playing back all that nationally broadcast video in which he defends some of the worst Bush administration torture and domestic surveillance policies.

Never mind that even if Brennan hadn't been associated with shameful Bush policies, he would likely have embarrassed the Obama administration with a pretzel knot of conflicting interests related to his employment with TAC, a major intelligence contractor, and his role as head of the industry association representing the exclusive clique of intelligence contractors.

Brennan was on the wrong side of two major Obama reform initiatives--intelligence and government contract reform--and that's why he was ultimately untenable as a CIA Director or DNI.

Panetta, however, is not on the wrong side of Obama's change strategy.

If the Obama administration is serious about fixing US intelligence, there is a compelling logic to putting Panetta in charge at CIA. Panetta, the intelligence naif, is not armpit deep in government (let alone intelligence) contracting. And he has loudly proclaimed his unequivocal opposition to torture. Plus he has a reputation for skillful management and navigation of the corridors of power.

To be sure, there are ways that a Panetta CIA could go way, way wrong. Most significantly, Panetta's effectiveness will depend largely on the second and third tiers of managers he anoints (from within) or brings with him (from outside).

Looking back at the two most recent "outsider" CIA Directors, Porter Goss and John Deutch, illustrates how easy it is to foul up the management of intelligence by giving senior jobs to petty tyrants and crooks. I have vivid memories of Deutch's Executive Director (third in command), Nora Slatkin, as a demanding diva who attained a Diana Ross-like reputation for humiliating junior CIA employees and generally lowering spirits.

Goss' crony crew of big-time crooks (his Executive Director, Dusty Foggo, had his home and CIA office raided by the FBI; he later pleaded guilty to a corruption charge) and small-time bacon thieves developed a similar reputation for ham-fisted management.

Regardless of who Panetta brings with him to execute a strategy of reform and reconstitution at CIA--it looks like current CIA Deputy Director Stephen R. Kappes and Intelligence Director Michael Morell will stay on under Panetta--his fresh outsider take is desperately needed.

The threads that run through the past decade's most notable intelligence disasters--resistance to accountability, an insular "not invented here" arrogance, and a sort of narcissistic lack of self-awareness--are serious problems in CIA culture. Experience in intelligence might actually be a barrier to seeing these problems and taking action against them. Like a fourteen-year-old boy who doesn't realize that he smells like a goat, CIA needs a responsible adult to gently suggest, (or more likely, forcefully require) clean clothes and regular bathing.

It looks like Leon Panetta gets to be that responsible adult.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-naif/if-you-think-panettas-wro_b_155906.html

Ah, what a cute unbiased article. Anywho, same old ****. The new administration is doing what the last one did and those on the respective sides are backing their fools without skipping a beat. Guess it's not just a Republican thing!

Well you can't call Obama a liar, after all he did promise change! :lol: