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What Was that About?
Talking Points Memo —
... I've been mulling and snooping around to find out what prompted Sen. Dianne Feinstein's chilly statement about Obama's choice of Leon Panetta to run the CIA. LAT sheds more light. ...
Obama Picks Leon Panetta as CIA Director - Democrat Senators Feinstein and Rockefeller Choke on His Lack of Intelligence Experience
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog —
... Guess POTUS - Elect did not consult with two senior Democrat Senators on the Senate intelligence Committee before he appointed “OUTSIDER” former Bill Clinton Budget Director and California Democrat Congressman, Leon Panetta as the Direcotr of the Central Intelligence Agency. Panetta has extensive government experience but virtually none in the intelligence community. ...
Barack Obama selects a 'Leon Panetta' to head the CIA
Top of the Ticket —
... , might have anticipated. Or even ex-House member Panetta himself, if he's supposed to be such a savvy D.C. manager. Few more details here. ...
LEON PANETTA FOR CIA DIRECTOR: Richard Miniter comments: “Obama needs to explain why an inexperien…
Instapundit —
... comments: “Obama needs to explain why an inexperienced former congressman and lobbyist will be a better CIA director than the guy doing the job now.” Meanwhile, Dianne Feinstein may oppose him. Meanwhile, I saw Newt Gingrich on TV saying that the CIA “can’t be run by an outside political appointment.” I’m not so sure that it shouldn’t be, as I believe there’s some cleanup that needs to take place. Here’s a similar point from ...
Leon Panetta????
PoliPundit.com —
Leon Panetta???? I have always thought of Leon Panetta as a highly intelligent individual who must have been a great manager serving as President Clinton’s Chief of Staff. And yes, the President elect is entitled to pick the people that will advise him. Having just said all that, it looks like I agree with Sen. Dianne Feinstein; “I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director,” Feinstein said. “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.” -- ...
Brother, Can You Spare a Bullet?
Balloon Juice —
... And while the Republicans continue to wallow in their flop sweat and hypocrisy, with the news of the Panetta pick for the CIA, the Democrats show that they are once again the unparalleled masters at fratricide: ...
Is Panetta Right for the CIA?
The Stump —
Dianne Feinstein and Jay Rockefeller are unhappy with Obama's surprise choice of Leon Panetta to run the CIA. The beef is that a CIA director should be an intelligence professional without a political background. On the other hand, George Tenet was an outwardly nonpartisan intelligence staffer for years before he was chosen to lead the agency. And we all know how that turned out. The flap over Panetta's selection obscures, incidentally, the arrival of another senior Clinton administration veteran atop in the Obama team. ...
Pushback against Panetta
Political Animal —
PUSHBACK AGAINST PANETTA.... Barack Obama's selection of Leon Panetta as the next head of the CIA has generated a wide variety of responses, but some of the most aggressive pushback has come from a few Senate Democrats . Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who this week begins her tenure as the first female head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she was not consulted on the choice and indicated she might oppose it. "I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director," Feinstein said. "My position has consistently been that I believe the ...
The Panetta Pick
Matthew Yglesias —
... Leon Panetta’s served in congress, served in the military, served as Chief of Staff in the White House; he’s served on blue ribbon commissions and worked for politicians of both parties. And Barack Obama wants him to be CIA Director. Some Senate Democrats aren’t happy: ...
Odds & Ends
Pundit Review —
... , “It is hard to know what is worse: the rampant Washington insiderdom or the shocking lack of experience.” Meanwhile, hell hath no fury like Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) scorned . Comments Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website
Hullabaloo — ... It's more than a little surprising to me that the choice for CIA Director of Leon Panetta, who I considered a card-carrying Villager if there ever was one, is ruffling such feathers inside official Washington, particularly official Democratic Washington. At first blush this looked like whining about not being informed, but it seems like there's more there. Here's the relevant section from the LA Times: ...
John McQuaid: What's Wrong with Panetta?
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com —
... in, put a new stamp on things, alter the agency's entire policy trajectory. And there have been very few successful CIA directors in recent decades. Would-be technocratic reformers like John Deutch failed. George Tenet, a smart political operator who was popular inside the CIA and out for a while, ended up making untenable political compromises on Iraq and torture that that ended up damaging the agency.
So I don't quite understand why Dianne Feinstein and Jay Rockefeller are objecting to Obama's pick, Leon Panetta:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who ...
Clinton Hack To Head CIA
small dead animals —
January 6, 2009 Clinton Hack To Head CIA What could possibly go wrong? Posted by Kate at January 6, 2009 11:27 AM Comments Post a comment Before submitting, review the post to ensure your comment is on topic and does not contain words that might get caught in the spam filter (eg: insurance, viagra, online, poker). This is not a forum or a repository for off-topic link dumps. Profanity is discouraged. Take your extended debates and/or flamewars to private email. Thankyou. Name: Email Address: URL: Remember personal info? Yes No Comments:
Feinstein Explains Her Reticence About Panetta Nomination
TPM Election Central —
... Just talked with Dianne Feinstein outside the Senate chamber about her qualms with the Leon Panetta nomination. The incoming Senate intelligence committee chairman said that both President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden called her after the fact to discuss the surprise choice of Panetta, who has no direct intelligence agency experience and whose nomination came as unwelcome news to Feinstein when it broke yesterday. ...
Obama Transition: Not A Good Sign
Riehl World View —
... So Obama proposes a controversial CIA head and doesn't even talk to Feinstein, incoming head of the Senate Intelligence Comittee? Now she and another senior Dem, Rockefeller, are criticizing it and, in fact, him in the press? ...
The Netroots Heart Panetta
Hotline On Call Part Deux —
... Meanwhile, liberal bloggers did not take kindly to incoming Senate Intel Cmte Chair Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) criticism of the Panetta selection. "The fact is that DiFi is actually implicated in the torture regime and should just shut up on this," ...
Obama backs away from Panetta
RedState: Conservative News and Community —
... President-elect Obama, stung by criticism from California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein and West Virginia Democrat Senator John Rockefeller backed away from the reported appointment of Leon Panetta to head the CIA: ...
1/7: Standing Up For Panetta
Blogometer —
... to lead the agency in the post-Bush years and are downplaying his lack of experience in intelligence-gathering. They're also blasting incoming Senate Intel Cmte Chair Dianne Feinstein and outgoing Senate Intel Cmte Chair Jay Rockefeller for publicly criticizing the pick. ...
Leon Panetta???
Bitchin' in the Kitchen —
Leon Panetta??
“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director,” Feinstein said. “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”
How about Lyon style Pancetta Wrapped Tuna??
Ingredients
The Tuna:
8 to 10 ounces ...
Why Leon Panetta May Be the Right Man for CIA Chief
Pajamas Media —
... Barack Obama previously positioned himself on the left wing of the Democratic Party, his appointments in the areas of national security and defense have been remarkable in the degree to which the worst fears of conservatives have not come to pass. Robert Gates as secretary of defense would have been a dream pick for a McCain administration and former commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Jones is someone I wish President Bush had chosen as his wartime national security adviser. The immediate howls of protest from liberal Senate Intelligence Committee members and chairmen ...
Op-ed at Pajamas Media
Chicago Boyz —
... positioned himself on the left wing of the Democratic Party, his appointments in the areas of national security and defense have been remarkable in the degree to which the worst fears of conservatives have not come to pass. Robert Gates as secretary of defense would have been a dream pick for a McCain administration and former commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Jones is someone I wish President Bush had chosen as his wartime national security adviser. The immediate howls of protest from liberal Senate Intelligence Committee members and ...
Rockefeller and Feinstein: Preserving the Bush Legacy
Corrente —
... On Monday it was reported that Barack Obama would nominate Leon Panetta to be the next CIA director, and there was an immediate, sharp reaction from some fellow Democrats. The LA Times quoted incoming head of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dianne Feinstein saying "I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director. ...
