Looks like Feinsteins' earmarks have been approved.

FR -- Sen. Feinstein said she had "a long talk" with Panetta last night. "We laughed together,"


These two had a few laughs, and now Panetta is  qualified for the CIA head? Here's some advice America. Stay out of tall buildings for the next four years.

Well, people quick to judge Obama get egg on their faces every time. Di Fi just shut up and let the PE do his job. He isn't stupid and has surrounded himself with brilliant,experienced people whose advice he heeds. They obviously know what they are doing. Unlike the incompetents we have seen the last 8 years it is a refreshing change that, for some, will be hard to get used to.

Off topic, but I'm curious.  I just saw a little piece on David Shuster's show about the White House being valued at $300 million, down $23 million from last year.  

Who wastes time assessing the value of the White House?

Or did George Bush take out a mortgage on THAT, too?  

This bru-ha-ha was all about normal protocol, an oversight by staff.   From where I sit, not knowing Director-designate Panetta but knowing of him from OMB colleagues who say he not only has impeccable integrity but also impeccable manners, he offers two things no intelligence professional has: a deep knowledge of how poorly President Clinton was informed by the secret world (“at best, 4%” by one very senior account), and an equally deep understanding of what the President, his Cabinet officers, Assistant Secretaries, and Congress all need in the way of decision-support.  The taxpayer is being billed for $65 billion to $75 billion a year in secret intelligence support.  I cannot imagine a better qualified candidate in that as a former Director of OMB, and a former Chief of Staff, Director-designate Panetta can not only resurrect CIA from irrelevance, but he can implement the 9-11 Commission recommendation to create an Open Source Agency (page 413 of their report) that can provide decision support to every Executive and Legislative “decider” at federal, state, AND local levels.  I have posted both a two-page Op-Ed entitled “Intelligence for the President—AND Everyone Else,” and a sixteen-page White Paper, “Fixing the White House and National Intelligence,” at www.oss.net/HILL.  As with my books, everything is free and may be remixed, reposted, under Creative Commons open license.

When did Feinstein become the all knowing one on intelligence?  She mistakes the mantle of committee chair for expertise.  The last time I checked she was right there with GWB on the war vote.    

Argumentum ab auctoritate !!

Leon Panetta - the left wing pick for CIA director.
Obama caved and this is the WRONG area to give in to the left wing loons. Our home security is at stake here. Panetta knows squat about Homeland Security.

she knows she stepped in it

"you can't always get what you want" -- Mick Jagger

And she didn't know all that about Leon Panetta and Pres.-elect Obama before she had her little talk?
Pulleease. Dianne, Princess of Wails, get over your-self.

Maybe DiFi has read the writing on the wall??  No more fabricated intelligence, no more partial intelligence, no more of what Bush and Cheney NEED to hear to push forward their war agenda - but facts, just the facts and all the facts so that thoughtful, informed, reasonable decisions can be made based on those facts.  Now, that's change I beleive in!!

It's great Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein has started to become more friendly and responsive to the idea of Leon Panetta as the next CIA director. Perhaps, She realizes spying on innocent citizens is counterproductive; just as it's counterproductive to not seat Roland Burris.

DiFi had a '2000' flashback...  It's a new world...  I'm glad she got over it.  It's going to be a tough enough to square the current economy, economical crap, without the petty bickering within the party...

Mathews called DiFi the adult today - well DiFi?  Act like it...

Panetta has no spy experience? How do we know? Maybe he's been a spook for years.  Spying is a dirty, nasty, bloody, necessary evil bravely done by our men and women in harms way. If we don't do it better than the bad guys innocent people die. God Bless our spies and keep them safe.

DiFi has determined HE WILL PLAY BALL, ie hire friends/relatives, protect the right people (democants) from being exposed for their own embarrassing actions etc.

WHEH!

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY! she showed all of us, and especially Obama just whose boss, and which cheek to kiss!

Welcome to Changeville

Typical democrat stuff they are known for....make blustery statements and then backpedal when pushed...I hope Obama doesn't turn out to be a wuss like reid and difi

NEITHER ONE CARES ABOUT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.

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