Leon Panetta to be CIA Director

[Rohirrim]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/05/panetta.cia/?iref=hpmostpop

Guess it didn't matter if you voted for Obama or Clinton. We're going to get Clinton; Part Deux, regardless. ;D

[Smiling Assassin27]

Nothing like a genuinely inexperienced guy, relative to intelligence. to run the CIA. You'd think a guy with, uh, maybe some field experience, might be a better choice. Hey, Panetta's come out adamantly and publicly against torture, so I guess that's what makes him qualified.

Another foolish appointment. Next.

[mosca]

What is Obama thinking with this one?

[Pseudofool]

I'm not sure experience is necessarily a good thing, given how crummy our intelligence was during the lead up to the war.

I think this just demonstrates how tainted the intelligence industry is by the last eight years.

I honestly don't know much about the guy to give an opinion.

[orinjkrush]

The CIA seems to be broken. HUMINT there sucks.
They have way too many folks at HQ who should be reassigned to the field or else....
But Panetta? Go figure. They might be better off with the editor of the National Enquirer.

[Smiling Assassin27]

I'm not sure experience is necessarily a good thing, given how crummy our intelligence was during the lead up to the war.

I think this just demonstrates how tainted the intelligence industry is by the last eight years.

I honestly don't know much about the guy to give an opinion.

No attacks on US soil since 9/11 tells me that Intelligence has been pretty good at what it does.

[Crushaholic]

His "experience" almost reads like a footnote:

He was the CIA's first associate director of military support and served on the National Security Council.

[Chupacabra]

Ridiculous.

[cutthemdown]

this is a bad choice. The first one I really think could be bad for the country. This guy doesn't know much about the CIA and intelligence work.

[Spider]

hmmmmmmmmm......

[cutthemdown]

Maybe Obama feels he's a good organizer and leader, and smart enough to have deputy directors that fill in the field work strategy type stuff for him?

[Spider]

Ridiculous.

Why ?
my Boss doesnt know the first thing about driving a truck , yet he is very successful ..........I wonder why that is ?
Just kidding I know why , but lets see if you do ..........

[NUB]

Not all CIA heads have come through the intel community. However, it's still a horrible choice at the moment and there certainly had to be better.

[El Guapo]

An inexperienced president-elect appointed an inexperienced director of the CIA. Perfect! . . .

[epicSocialism4tw]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/05/panetta.cia/?iref=hpmostpop

Guess it didn't matter if you voted for Obama or Clinton. We're going to get Clinton; Part Deux, regardless. ;D

I wonder how much he paid to play?

[epicSocialism4tw]

I'm not sure experience is necessarily a good thing, given how crummy our intelligence was during the lead up to the war.

I think this just demonstrates how tainted the intelligence industry is by the last eight years.

I honestly don't know much about the guy to give an opinion.


Yeah, it seems as though it has been a rough ride back to relevance after Clinton swept the legs out from underneath.

[baja]

The CIA needs an outsider, this group needs watching more that it needs anything else. I like it. Too many secrets in that organization.

[watermock]

I doubt the NSA even briefs him adequately.

He's going to be nothing more than Bob's your information minister.

A present day mouthpiece of propoganda.

[cutthemdown]

Even Diane Fienstien thinks the director should come from an intelligence background. This pick may not make it through the Senate. Even Democrats are scratching their heads. This is a strange pick by Obama.

[cutthemdown]

The CIA needs an outsider, this group needs watching more that it needs anything else. I like it. Too many secrets in that organization.

most people disagree with you but that must be Obama's rational. Nothing else makes sense.

[frerottenextelway]

Even Diane Fienstien thinks the director should come from an intelligence background. This pick may not make it through the Senate. Even Democrats are scratching their heads. This is a strange pick by Obama.

Pro-torture Bush appeasers like Fienstien being upset is a sure sign to me that Obama got the right man for the job.

[frerottenextelway]

Greenwald:

<a id="postid-updateA2">A bit more good news today was <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/05/obama-selects-leon-panetta/">Obama's announcement of his selection for CIA Director</a>: former Clinton White House Chief of Staff (and Congressman) Leon Panetta. I don't have any particular thoughts, one way or the other, about Panetta himself, but -- particularly in the wake of the Brennan controversy -- it does seem clear that the Obama team was serious about avoiding anyone who had any connection at all to the Bush torture, surveillance and detention programs. Not only did they want to avoid anyone with any formal connection, but also anyone who (like Brennan) advocated or supported those programs, as <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/panetta-to-be-named-cia-director/"><em>The New York Times</em> reported today</a>:</p><blockquote>
<p>Members of Mr. Obama’s transition also raised concerns about other candidates, even some Democratic lawmakers with intelligence experience. Representative Jane Harman of California, formerly the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, had hoped to get the job, but she was <strong>ruled out as a candidate in part because of her early support for some Bush administration programs like the domestic eavesdropping program.</strong></p>
</blockquote><p>Good. Supporting Bush's illegal NSA program -- as Harman did, repeatedly and explicitly -- should be disqualifying for the position of CIA Director. Panetta may have many flaws -- who doesn't after years and years in Washington? -- but Obama's apparent determination to avoid anyone "tainted" by the CIA's last eight years is commendable. Like the Johnsen appointment, it doesn't, standing alone, prove anything -- only actions will do that -- but it's still a positive step. </p>

(his bold, not mine)

"Experience'' is just a total code word here, this is all about Bush's torture, surveillance and detention programs. Those that support those hateful, anti-american, and un-constitutional programs are against this change, those that don't, aren't.

[elsid13]

Remember it could mean a focus of power away from the CIA Director to the National Director of Intelligence. NDI now has all budget power and it appears that Obama folks feel comfortable with his experience to put someone in the CIA slot that doesn't have the Intel experience.

[Bronco Bob]

Nothing like a genuinely inexperienced guy, relative to intelligence. to run the CIA. You'd think a guy with, uh, maybe some field experience, might be a better choice. Hey, Panetta's come out adamantly and publicly against torture, so I guess that's what makes him qualified.

Another foolish appointment. Next.

The problem is most the people with experience in intelligence have the
wrong kind of experience. These are the people that were condoning
torture and taking away civil liberties. Time to make a clean break with
this sort of mentality.

[Bronco Bob]

Even Diane Fienstien thinks the director should come from an intelligence background. This pick may not make it through the Senate. Even Democrats are scratching their heads. This is a strange pick by Obama.

Yeah, because Fienstien did such an excellent job of overseeing the CIA
during the last 8 years. Di just has her panties in a bunch because
Obama didn't consult with her first.

[cutthemdown]

so when Obama appoints someone with experience it's a good thing. And when Obama appoints someone who obviously doesn't have it that is also a good thing? IMO people just like whatever he does at this point.

IMO this is a bad choice. We need someone who knows something about field work and how to relate to agents.

IMO this will drive good people out of the agency.

[Spider]

LOL as if ....... If you people had a clue you wouldnt be posting here , your ass would be out making money ........

[Spider]

you guys remind me or a bunch of Truckdrivers , Have all the answers to the worlds problems , but yet sit on your ass and do nothing about it ......

[cutthemdown]

LOL as if ....... If you people had a clue you wouldnt be posting here , your ass would be out making money ........

you're right I'm poor. Well at least I want Obama to think that. No money to tax here Obama!!!! Actually it's Arnold Swartzataxer I need to worry about.

In any even what makes you think you know who makes money?

[Spider]

you're right I'm poor. Well at least I want Obama to think that. No money to tax here Obama!!!! Actually it's Arnold Swartzataxer I need to worry about.

In any even what makes you think you know who makes money?

LOL yeah you make 400k a year or better ........ Sure thing ..... you piss and moan about taxes hey ......... you want to live in the land of milk and honey and get a free ride ........ what keeps you free ? your ****ing tax dollars , thats right everything is connected , your taxes , my taxes , all of it goes to Military , infrastructure , police , fire dept , Hospitalization .. be a real ****ing bummer if someone had Leprosy or some other disease and couldnt cure it cause they couldnt afford it and wiped out entire neighborhoods..........you free loaders really piss me off , I got a family to support , I support them , and I pay my taxes without crying about it .........

[Spider]

I just got done driving 12 hours strait non stop , 150 miles of 2 lane highways , snow , Ice , wind blowing damn near whits outs in places , I get to Billings Montana 12 hours before I have to , I call this Mother ****er up tell him I am here in Billings @ 8:30 and we could unload this tonight if he wanted to , and the son of a bitch pissed me off , talking out of the side of his neck while I am doing him a solid.... wait until I see that bastard tomorrow .......

[Spider]

thats the problem with alot of you people here , you dont understand the hard work , going above the call , to get something done , you cant fathom a guy pushing himself past his physical breaking point to meet a deadline , or he doesnt get paid , that means his family does without , and you want to sit there and bitch about taxes ? ...... the blue collar Joe out here doesnt give a damn about your taxes , he cars about providing for his family the best he can .....

[cutthemdown]

LOL yeah you make 400k a year or better ........ Sure thing ..... you piss and moan about taxes hey ......... you want to live in the land of milk and honey and get a free ride ........ what keeps you free ? your ****ing tax dollars , thats right everything is connected , your taxes , my taxes , all of it goes to Military , infrastructure , police , fire dept , Hospitalization .. be a real ****ing bummer if someone had Leprosy or some other disease and couldnt cure it cause they couldnt afford it and wiped out entire neighborhoods..........you free loaders really piss me off , I got a family to support , I support them , and I pay my taxes without crying about it .........

settle down and change your man diaper.

[Spider]

settle down and change your man diaper.

Yeah ....... what I thought ..... you feel as if you are special , you shouldnt have to pay taxes , the world owes you a living ..........