Panetta to Head CIA

Bah!  Who needs any experience in intelligence to run the CIA.

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.

1. WOW - what a great pick!!  Now he will be “Chief Spy” and he couldn’t even see Monica right under his nose.  How on earth will he be able to see a terrorist attack.  Just another Clinton re-tread and this is the change all the BHO kool-aide drinkers voted for??
   On 2nd thought, maybe he did see Monica but just held his nose - LOL

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 05, 2009 at 1611 hrs




2. Governor Richardson doesn’t have any experience to run the Commerce Department, but I’m sure that will work out just fine.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 05, 2009 at 1618 hrs




3. But he’s good at budgets.  That’s got to count for something.

   

   Posted by hsgbdmama on January 05, 2009 at 1741 hrs




4. I guess Hillary didn’t need to win after all.  Barry is just re-creating the Clinton administration almost as if the last eight years never even happened.

   Posted by David on January 05, 2009 at 1810 hrs




5. Seriously, though.  If this signals a break from current policy, it also signals the gutting of our intelligence capabilities.  This could be really bad.

   Posted by Steve on January 05, 2009 at 1847 hrs




6. Um, does the phrase, “You’re doing a heckuva job, Brownie?” ring any bells?

   I couldn’t find your post criticizing that appointment.

   Posted by capper on January 05, 2009 at 2032 hrs




7. Um, does the phrase, “You’re doing a heckuva job, Brownie?” ring any bells?

   I couldn’t find your post criticizing that appointment.

   Sure you did, capper - it was right after your post criticizing the Democrat mayor and governor.

   As far as the CIA director is concerned, that has always been a political appointment.  While I’m no fan of Panetta, he’s probably no less qualified than a number of his predecessors.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 05, 2009 at 2038 hrs




8. Actually, I have complained about Doyle.  You’re point being?

   Posted by capper on January 05, 2009 at 2043 hrs




9. Look, Panetta doesn’t have to spy.  He has to manage spies, and he’s proven himself a capable Washington manager before, no?

   And besides, I for one am happy to have a CIA chief who is on record as opposing torture as a US policy.

   Posted by folkbum on January 05, 2009 at 2046 hrs




10. Actually, I have complained about Doyle.

    Who said anything about Doyle?

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 05, 2009 at 2057 hrs




11. What Democratic governor were you referring to if not Doyle?  The last I heard, there was only one governor in Wisconsin.

    Posted by capper on January 05, 2009 at 2112 hrs




12. I’m sure many an eye rolled at CIA world headquarters today.

    Look, Panetta doesn’t have to spy.  He has to manage spies, and he’s proven himself a capable Washington manager before, no?

    I’ve proven myself a capable manager for a government organization in a past life - so you’ll have no problem when you find that a guy like me (without a teacher’s cert, whose only actual teaching experience was a more-or-less successful catechism class) is picked to be your school’s principal, yes?

    Awesome.  We’re gonna have a productive school year.

    Posted by Brian Dunbar on January 05, 2009 at 2256 hrs




13. We’re gonna have a productive school year.

    Believe me, I’ve had worse.

    The Peter Principle was written by an educator about educators, after all.

    Posted by folkbum on January 06, 2009 at 0548 hrs




14. The flip side of the argument surfaced in Memeorandum today.  Feinstein doesn’t like a CIA chief who actually has his own DC powerbase, because that way she cannot marginalize the CIA as easily….

    Posted by dad29 on January 06, 2009 at 0750 hrs




15. What a inane pick. By that logic - I’m qualified to be the head of the CIA too.

    Obama: “Who are we going to get to run the CIA?”
    Panetta: “Hey - I don’t have a cabinet post yet - how about me?”
    Obama: “Sure, why not.”

    Panetta won’t have this job by the end of 2009.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 06, 2009 at 1259 hrs




16. What Democratic governor were you referring to if not Doyle?  The last I heard, there was only one governor in Wisconsin.

    Blanco and the Chocolate City Mayor, Nagin.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 06, 2009 at 1325 hrs




17. You Democrat apologists don’t get it, do you.  For eight years you have complained that everything George Bush/Karl Rove/Dick Cheney did was politicize their appointments and enrich their friends.

    This is NO different, but you can’t see it.

    One of the primary complaints was the “politicization” of intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war.  Leon Panetta, now, isn’t a political creature charged with pursuing his boss’s agenda?  You people can’t possibly be that thick.

    Um, does the phrase, “You’re doing a heckuva job, Brownie?” ring any bells?

    Really, capper?  FEMA, who’s charge is largely to cut checks and coordinate handing out bottled water, is now the functional equivalent to the primary intelligence gathering arm of the US defense posture?

    Having some degree of familiarity with the CIA, I can tell you that The Company and the entire Intel Community will not react well to the Panetta appointment - he isn’t one of them.  Start looking for lots of leaks from “sources within the community” to start complaining about Panetta and will roll him at his first misstep.

    But hey, he just has to manage spies - people trained in espionage, murder, political subterfuge, counterfeiting, black ops, torture, and God knows what else.  I’m sure they are really easy to manage.  So easy a two-bit political hack who doesn’t believe in torture can do it.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 06, 2009 at 2213 hrs