Panetta to CIA

Posted: Monday, January 05, 2009 2:29 PM by Carrie Dann
Filed Under: Congress

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie
President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Bill Clinton chief-of-staff and Iraq Study Group member Leon Panetta to be his CIA director.

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Comments

That's great Leon's a great guy.

Mary, Davenport, IA (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:36 PM)

I know I for one am overwhelmed with all this CHANGE,

Wait a minute, I thought Obama won, not hilsy?!?

Ted K, Hyannis, MA (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:39 PM)

Great. Another very good choice. I am saddened at the departure of Richardson, but even that was handled in a way which shows this office's professionalism.

Pete, Des Moines, Iowa (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:42 PM)

I hope everyone is enjoying this "change" - it'll take more than Clinton's croonies in the white house to get the economy on track.
Keep the change barry.

Industrial Accident, LA (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:43 PM)

What has he done to deserve this??

ryan, tampa FL (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:43 PM)

One more Clintonite. So much for 'change' in this administration. I hope Obama doesn't just turn out to be another puppet...

Hoss, Atlanta (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:44 PM)

I thought Obama was elected, not Hilary!

Jason, Riverside, CA (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:44 PM)

A California Democrat to be CIA Director? Time to stock up on guns and ammo.

Myetball, San Antonio, TX (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:44 PM)

Remember the hostage crisis in Iran? Well, that sort of limp wristed style of American diplomacy is about to return. God bless America....

Ken Smith Houston Texas (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:45 PM)

I am sure glad Obama is the instrument of "change" LOL. Using the Clinton's as his "change" machine.

What a hypocrite this guy has turned out to be

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:57 PM)

When I look at who Obama is selecting for his cabinet, I'm reminded of this phrase, with emphasis added,

The more things "change", the more they "stay the same".

Clinton-era all over again?

Miss Melanie, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 2:59 PM)

Now Leon, how about improving this country's ability to secure some real, legitimate and timely intelligence. Then we can use the same to infiltrate these terrorists organizations and hunt down and kill the terrorists with well trained smaller special stealth-like teams rather than invading entire countries with thousands of troops.

Anyone note how the leaders of Hamas went into hiding after learning that Israel was going to enter Gaza with ground troops. These people will not stand toe to toe with you and duke it out. So no matter how many troops one has, or how technologically advanced, you have to learn tyo fight them using their tactics. And that means vastly improving our intellignece and using the same to infiltrate and destroy these groups. Invading Iraq with large numbers of troops, Afghanistan, Gaza (by the Israelis, Iran or any other country will not win the war against terrorists. Good intelligence and paid informants will.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:00 PM)

Leon Panetta? He has NO intelligence experience-(sitting on the "Iraq Study Group" does nothing to qualify him). Panetta's only experience is as a political hack.

I said during the campaign that the world was too dangerous a place for Obama to play at being president. It seems that my worst fears are being realized. The CIA was woefully underfunded and undermanned for too long, and we paid for it with terrorist attacks on our own soil.

Of course, in the dream-world that is Obama land, there is no need for a CIA.

Heaven help us.

no joe, no bo, nj (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:03 PM)

Leon Panetta is a good man
Does he know intelligence ?

Someone has to clean out that pool of nuts, nazis and know nothings in the 'intelligence' community

THE CIA FAILED in warning about 9/11

THE CIA FAILED is assesing the threats in Iraq
THE CIA allowed itself to be politicized and grovel to Bush/Cheney

THE CIA FAILED when it allowed itself to allow the corruption of Porter Goss's 'Gosslings'
The whole pack of them were involved with corrupt dealings in procurement and contracts

A Quigi board would be more accurate than the CIA's findings.
AND it's CHEAPER !!
The CIA is just a jobs program for a pack of incompetent right wingers !!

They're the guys who hired Osama bin Laden to be a 'freedom fighter'

MSierra, SF (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:03 PM)

no joe, no bo, nj (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:03 PM)

ROTFLMAO!!!

Penatta!!? How in the world does that Democratic hack get the CIA job? The Republicans have more to worry about being spied on then, say, North Korea.

I'd like to say Obama has gone off the tracks, but evidentially, he never was on them!!

P. Evert, Washington State (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:04 PM)

Nashville_Fan:

I appreciate the sentiment that there is no such thing as a 'just' war. But I also appreciate world history. 6,000,000 Jews and another 7,000,000 Russians and other Europeans were extinguished while the world sat idly by. I don't really give a good rats a@@ about 'polite society's viewpoint' on this topic. Israel will forever have the right to defend themselves by whatever means necessary. This speaks to the 'f#$k me once, shame on you - f#$k me twice, shame on me' policy that I personally subscribe to. I know mine is not a popular opinion; but I am a strong defender of Israel. Still appreciate hearing your opinion.

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:10 PM)

I should have responded on topic, I had kind of hoped that Richard Clarke would have gotten the nod. (not from a rational standpoint - but a passionate one).

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:14 PM)

You forgot to mention he has been working on PEBO's transition team. I think this will be a great choice. The CIA needs a good cleaning up.

Annette, Odessa, MO (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:15 PM)

cindy, Las Vegas, Nv: '...MSNBC - Happy New Year - how come none of my stuff is getting posted. I've been good!!...'

You have to say nice things about Moroning Joe, Chuck Todd and MSNBC

And Plese don't complain about their daily 'posting siesta'

MSierra, SF (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:16 PM)

Does this mean that we can't torture POWs anymore?

Scooter (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:20 PM)

THIS I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
SHOULDN'T THE HEAD OF CIA HAVE FORGEN POLICY EXPERINCE?

JEFF D EVANSTON IL. (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:20 PM)

You might think phrasing things things the way you do is inspiring, but it's actually just overly romantic. You're pretending that humanity in its several thousand years of civilization has EVER shown ANY inkling of global peace, and you need to wake up from the dream. You sound as foolish as saying, "Why can't the government just give everyone a million dollars?" It's silly. Sent by Ricks
____________________
Romantic? No one in any position of power in this country or in Israel are being honest about this. Enough of the lies. The whole world is watching this and coming to their own non-spin conclusions. I am not alone. Romantic?

Try this: haven't we learned any lessons from history?

Israel went in to Gaza to get the terrorists. They did not go in there to topple a government. Big difference. France, Japan, China, Russia, England, et al - these are countries who should pay a price if their governments bomb Israel.

How one cannot be crushed by this I can't understand. I guess they have found their own reasons for justifying it. I can't.

Meanwhile, how's Osama Bin Laden doing these days I wonder. Still walking around free as a bird. That much I know.

I've lost complete faith in humanity. For the first time in my life. And I'm an American. That's pretty sad. The USA should be stopping this carnage, not giving a thumbs up to it.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:21 PM)

These are all people that Hillary Clinton could have/would have appointed had she been nominated and elected.
I thought Obama was supposed to represent "change."

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:35 PM)

I thought that Mr. Obama was all for "change"...sounds like the Clinton administration revisited.

Bob L, Virginia (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:46 PM)

Good grief...is there no one out there Obama can select other than Clinton refugees? Surely the Democrats bench isn't that weak...or is it?

Rick, NC (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 3:58 PM)

What I want to know is why the CIA is ordering Italian ham? Isn't American ham good enough for them?

What's that you say? Panetta? Not Pancetta?

Oh. Never mind.

Roseanne Rosannadanna (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 4:01 PM)

Clara,

Thanks for the response. Israel certainly has the right to defend itself. But they face the same dilemma that the United States faced after 9-11 - where is the line between justified retribution against the guilty and unjustified "collateral damage" that is the inevitable result?

How many dead innocent people is an acceptable number? Who decides which causes are "just" and which aren't? It is a very slippery slope indeed.

I'm not taking either parties side . . . I'm just saying there has GOT to be a better way that blowing each other up. What exactly is that accomplishing?

Nashville_fan (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 4:12 PM)

"Heaven help us."
no joe, no bo, nj

Our long national nightmare for the last 8 years WAS with heaven's help. All of the televangelists and George Bush say so. According to them the hand of guidance has now been lifted 'cause God hates Obama. I am looking forward to the improvement.

nuanced (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 4:36 PM)

Pat, Boston, MA

Ignore Ricks. Nothing good ever came to this world or this country except by way of those who initiated change because of their romantic and inspiring dreams of a better world. And yes, it would be easy to give taxpayers a decent stimulus amount to help boost this economy. Perhaps not a million each but 4 or 5 thousand could be achieved. How, just do it. Beats spending 597 Million on a new Embassy in Baghdad of all places, or throwing away 700 Billion into the Market where the money is unaccounted for or being horded and held by the same.

And what is better. To go down fighting against all the evil in this world as an idealist or romantic who wants to believe in the good of "man", or to simply give in and join the evil in this world by saying and doing nothing and disgarding those dreams of a better world?

Keep the faith Pat and don't give in to the likes of Ricks.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 5:37 PM)

Obama is merging the Clinton Administration with the Fiscal Policy of George Bush.

So it's ClintonBush's 9th Term!

Change! Ha.

Jim Pacella, Chicago, IL (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 5:40 PM)

These have to be his worse appointments so far. In this time, we certainly need someone who has some experience in the CIA. There is no other time in our history that we need a top person to run CIA.

AND WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HE THINKING IN MAKING BILL CLINTON AS HIS CHIEF-OF -STAFF. WHAT A JOKE. IT LOOKS LIKE OBAMA IS TRYING TO BRING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION BACK.

Tom Overton, Denton, Texas (Sent Monday, January 05, 2009 6:49 PM)

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