Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Unbelievable — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:27:14 GMT

This sounds like a report from seventh grade. Good God. All the whining. Are these people Senators and senior intelligence officials or bench-warmers on a little league team? And George Tenet's people are complaining about some slight? Really....Really?

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Eric, Salinas, CA — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:38:38 GMT

Leon Panetta will make a great CIA chief, so much better than the garbage in that position the past 8 years. The CIA needs to be cleaned up and that can never be done by insiders. Time for an outsider to come in and clean up the mess the current administration of lawbreaking tyrants have made. Time for some real intelligence to get back into the CIA.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Mia in Miami — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:43:00 GMT

Seems like the media loves drama, including you guys @ MSNBC/NBC. I used to love MSNBC/NBC as a whole, but not so much anymore, I only tune in now for Kieth Olbermanns show. Just look at the heading of the other post "Congress: the Burris circus"? Please, it's only a "circus" because the media is making it into one.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

jesse St.Paul Minnesota — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:43:53 GMT

I just love when FR prints that the LA times learned more about who Obama had offered the CIA job to Some one else.No names, no quotes,no faces.Where did they learn this,in a school,at lunch,by the pool?What did you expect the boys at the CIA to say,every thing running like a top according to them.What Obama has seen is what a mess the Bush admin has made of the CIA, that it will take a manager to put this bunch back on track,plus getting rid of the hand picked Bushies out of the building.The yes men are on there way out.I'm quite sure Obama has thought hard about how to clean up this mess,and will give Panetta all the tools he will need .We have seen what happens when you put yes men in High places,Tenet,Brownie,Albert,to name a few.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Anna Molly — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:43:58 GMT

I can't blame Richard Clarke one little bit for not wanting the CIA job. Why would he volunteer to work with people who, when criticized, circle the wagons and deflect blame onto anybody who dares to asks questions. Clarke already knows about this firsthand.

Not to mention having to work with US senators who apparently are petty enough not to vote to confirm a nominee for the job because they weren't personally consulted. (That's bad enough, but I'm guessing the REAL reason they don't like the Panetta nomination because they are afraid that their own role in the torture and surveillance culture of the past 8 years may be exposed.)

Anyway, I wonder if we'll ever see the day again when serving country is more about country than it is about ego aggrandizement and imaginary feather-ruffling.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

jawillie, Philadelphia, PA. — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:52:22 GMT

It amazes me that some of the people whining about this appointment are the same folks (some Democrats) who stood idly by while the Bush administration engaged in warrantless wiretapping, torture, and all of the other crimes that Bush/Cheney should be tried for. Perhaps Obama is sending a message to them: guilty is guilty no matter what side of the aisle you're on.

13 Days Until Inauguration Day!
http://jawillie.blog.com

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Paul M., MD — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:52:39 GMT

Obama is such a rookie. This is what happens when you elect a man with zero experience. He hasn't a clue how Washington works, and there are many Washington Insiders that will take his administration down to it's knees if he treads on their turf, be it Democrat or Republican. This naive babe in the woods named Obama is going to be taken to the woodshed and be taught a lot of lessons in the next few years. Obama's little "Change" mantra may have got him elected, but he's going to find out that the one that's going to Change is him, and not the Washington Insiders.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

marty,columbia,s.c. — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:54:23 GMT

I actually hope that the pick of Leon Paneta, was actually a poke in the eyes of Di Fi and J. Rockerfeller, Shame on both of them for not doing thier very important job of oversight. SHAME.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

PANETTA IS PART OF OBAMA'S LEFT-WING AGENDA ! — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:54:49 GMT

PANETTA FOR C.I.A. IS OBAMA'S SNEAKING HIS LEFT-WING DOMESTIC AGENDA INTO AMERICA.
PANETTA WILL CASTRATE THE C.I.A. AND ENDANGER AMERICA.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Houston — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:55:33 GMT

Fienstein voted for Bush's choice for CIA director Porter Goss. He was a political hack with no intelligence experience and he got dumped quickly when his incompetence became intolerable even to Bush. So she has no business criticizing Panetta.

And neither do the media hacks, few of whom challenged Goss' appointment -- or any of the Bush's other many blunders over the past 8 years. But now they're nitpicking and whining about ever decision Obama makes.

It looks like the corporate media is trying to compensate for being Bush's lap dog for 8 years by turning into a bunch of yapping chihuahuas for the duration of Obama's presidency.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

eagle1776 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:01:30 GMT

I believe Di Fi is more upset that she wasn't consulted or informed about the appointment of Panetta than the fact that she believes Panetta is not qualified. Leon Panetta is a good manager. I believe he will raise the esteem of the CIA and keep it there. He will rely on Stephen Kapps for the "technical" part of CIA leadership. I see more teamwork being required in the Obama Administration. Not so much of "I'm the boss and you'll do as I say" that we have seen from the past. No one person has all the skills and knowledge to handle complex organizations as they are today. A team lead by a true leader who sees the assets each team member brings will succeed and all will benefit.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Ed, FW, TX — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:12:11 GMT

I agree with the posts above from Eric, Mia, Jessie and Molly. The CIA does need an outsider who is close to the administration, not an insider who will only circle the wagons again. Panetta is a moral guy with a clean record. With good prof spook deputies, He'll do just fine.

Lol the senatorial egos. Note that Keith O. mentioned that Barack HAD alerted the #3 man on the Senate Intell committiee. I do not recall his name. This does suggest that the roles of Feinstein and Rockafeller regarding the torture issue played a part in their being left out of the loop here.

Clearly, Barack seeks to change the tone of the dialog between the intel community and the WH. Bravo Barack, we don't need any more cherry picked intel!

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Pacheck, Huntington Beach, Ca. — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:37:29 GMT

Who care what Feinstein or any of the congressfolk and CIA think about President Obama's appointment of Panetta as Director of the CIA. For the last eight years the agency has degraded to a third rate joke and congress has been nothing more than a rubber stamp for bush. They should all shut-up and do the peoples work to the best of their ability.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

ain't it the truth — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:47:13 GMT

all the drama will be done in the next couple of days on these issues. diane's ego was a little dented. so what. she will get over it. burris will get seated.

harry reid mishandled it as most things he has screwed up during his term as majority leader. harry reid is a truly weak leader.

panetta will do a good job. he will clean up that mess at the c.i.a. to much cronyism. dianne and jay hands aren't all that clean either. she wants her hand pick in there. investigations are going to bring a lot to the light. everything comes out in the wash sooner or later.

research diane's husbands business and the military contracts he was awarded. some possible issues on the horizon. she isn't sleeping that well now days. she turned her head when torture was going on for a reason.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Kay P Tempe AZ — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:48:27 GMT

6-21

According to Maddow last night, Feinstein has her own problems - considering she stood on the sidelines and rubber stamped Tenet and every other Bush administration illegality - so get over your little self, Diane. there is a new sheriff in town.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

ain't it the truth — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:52:30 GMT

panetta will castrate the c.i.a.
------------------------------------------------------
another statement made without thought or knowledge of an appointments record. panetta is a shrewd and skillfull manager that is moderate thinking. he is not a leftist liberal fringe politician. a person would have to read, research, think and comprehend facts to come to such a conclusion that panetta would be the last person to harm the c.i.a. he will do that department good. some people just like to make noise.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

twostepcub, trenton nj — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:55:13 GMT

So the wittle bittie spies panties can be in a bunch over the hiring of an outsider to come and straighten out their waterboarding, renditioning, fantasy-scare behinds? Maybe someone will catch them bugging the phones of their nasty neighbors and ex-wives.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Hank Chamberlain — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:03:47 GMT

Our "Founding Fathers" wisely provided for civilian control of the military. Had they foreseen the emergence of the covert services (NSA, CIA, etc.) they would have realized that it is much more important to maintain independent elected control over those institutions. Intelligence agencies have subverted their own legitimate governments far more often than have military coups. These agencies are essential for our security, and so is maintaining a tight grip on them.
Mr. Panetta is an excellent and appropriate appointee.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Clare J., MO — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:03:52 GMT

I actually hope that the pick of Leon Paneta, was actually a poke in the eyes of Di Fi and J. Rockerfeller, Shame on both of them for not doing thier very important job of oversight. SHAME.

marty,columbia,s.c.
-------

I like your style marty. It's all about payback and oneupmanship. Forget the country. Forget the fact that Panetta doesn't know what the heck he's doing.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Payton M, IN — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:06:26 GMT

Pacheck, Huntington Beach, Ca. - For the last eight years the [CIA] agency has degraded to a third rate joke.

That would expalin all the terrorist attacks on US soil and on our foreign embassies in the last 7.5 years. What? There were no attacks? How can that be? Third rate joke indeed.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Robert Steele, Oakton, VA — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:10:49 GMT

Clarke would have been a disaster at CIA. Panetta is an inspired choice for two reasons: first, he knows how crummy the decision support to the President is (4% secrets from CIA useless in making budget choices, 96% spin from stakeholders); and second, he knows as only a former D/OMB and CoS WH can know, what the President and Cabinet and Congress "need to know." See my two page Op-Ed on "Intelligence for the President--AND Everyone Else," and my 16-page white paper on "Fixing the White House and National Intelligence," both at www.oss.net/HILL.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Diane from Illinois — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:16:10 GMT

Last time I checked I think Feinstein will report to Barack and not the other way around. She's just as guilty by allowing the Bush administration to virtually rape the constitution and torture people.....hmmm, could THAT be why she wasn't consulted about his choice? Heads up Feinstein, there's a new sheriff in town and he's watching YOU, too.

Transition: How Panetta's playing, Part 2

Joy, Chantilly — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:26:24 GMT

Di Fi and Rock will not matter in the end. Panetta's a good solid choice. We have to rid ourselves of the the rooster who refused to watch the hen house! Why consult them at all. I don't believe it was an oversight! Obama's transition team did the right thing.