By Mark Mazzetti
NY TIMES – President-elect Barack Obama and his top aides called lawmakers, deployed surrogates and offered public testimonials on Tuesday as they scrambled to mend a divide in Democratic ranks over the nomination of Leon E. Panetta, a former White House chief of staff, to take over the Central Intelligence Agency.
Mr. Obama and his aides were trying to mend damage done on Monday when news of Mr. Panetta’s selection leaked before it had been shared with senior senators, and some Democrats responded with surprise and skepticism because Mr. Panetta lacks much intelligence experience.
Speaking for the first time publicly about the choice, Mr. Obama said Tuesday that Mr. Panetta and other members of the new administration would be “committed to breaking with some of the past practices” that had “tarnished the image” of the United States’ intelligence agencies.
But transition officials said Mr. Obama also intended to keep the C.I.A’s No. 2 official, Stephen R. Kappes, a highly regarded former Marine officer and agency veteran. The transition officials spoke on condition of anonymity about the personnel move, a plan that could help defuse criticism inside the C.I.A. about Mr. Panetta’s own thin background in intelligence.
Mr. Panetta’s lack of experience had drawn the sharpest criticism on Monday from Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat who is chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and whose career in California politics tracked closely with Mr. Panetta’s for years. After hearing directly from both Mr. Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Tuesday, Mrs. Feinstein seemed to soften her opposition slightly, but she did not indicate whether she would vote to confirm Mr. Panetta.
Aides to Mr. Obama conceded that they had mishandled the process, a significant stumble of his otherwise smooth transition. Mr. Biden said it had been a “mistake” not to notify Mrs. Feinstein and others about the decision.
Mr. Obama vigorously defended his selection on Tuesday, saying Mr. Panetta was “fully versed in international affairs, crisis management and had to evaluate intelligence consistently on a day-to-day basis” during his two and a half years as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.
Deciding whether the director of the C.I.A. should be chosen from within the agency or installed from outside has confounded American presidents since the agency was established after World War II as the successor to the Office of Strategic Services.
Intelligence experts say there is no strict formula for success: some career intelligence officers have proved to be dismal as directors, while others have succeeded; some outsiders have proved to be prescient, effective leaders, while others have found it impossible to impose authority over what remains an insular and secretive agency.
Among the outsiders, John McCone, a California shipbuilder installed by President John F. Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs disaster, has generally been given high marks. Mr. McCone is credited with correctly predicting that the Soviet Union would deploy offensive missiles in Cuba. The agency also delivered increasingly grim reports to the White House about the Vietnam War, to the dismay of both Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson.
By contrast, Richard Helms, a careerist who ascended the ranks to take over the C.I.A. under Johnson and President Richard M. Nixon, was highly regarded inside the agency, but was ultimately blamed for the fallout from dozens of C.I.A. covert operations abroad that went sour.
In describing the rationale for turning to Mr. Panetta, aides to Mr. Obama said it was important to bring clarity to the division of responsibilities among American intelligence agencies, and in particular to end the current disputes between the offices of the C.I.A. director and the director of national intelligence.
Because Mr. Panetta does not have a C.I.A. background, the aides said, he may be less likely to instinctively defend the C.I.A.’s turf against other spy agencies. They said Dennis Blair, the retired admiral who has been tapped to become director of national intelligence, had played a role in choosing Mr. Panetta, but would have the clear mandate from the White House to set intelligence policy across the 16 intelligence agencies.
In expressing disapproval about the choice of Mr. Panetta, Mrs. Feinstein recalled that she had said that an intelligence professional would be the best choice to lead the agency now. In softening her stance on Tuesday, the senator told a reporter that the choice might be more palatable if Mr. Kappes, the No. 2 official, remained in his job. Mr. Kappes left the agency in 2004 after a clash with Porter J. Goss, then the C.I.A. director, but agreed to return in 2006 under a new director, Michael V. Hayden, in a move that lifted morale among clandestine officers.
A C.I.A. spokesman declined to comment about whether Mr. Kappes had decided to stay in his current job.
Mr. Panetta and Mrs. Feinstein are both considered power brokers in California politics, and their careers mostly followed parallel tracks until they tangled over his nomination.
In 1998, for example, Mrs. Feinstein and Mr. Panetta were both considered viable candidates for the Democratic nomination for governor. Mrs. Feinstein eventually declared that she would not run, after which Mr. Panetta reportedly considered a bit more seriously. Ultimately, he too passed.
In 2003, some Democrats from the national party considered but then abandoned a plan that would have put either Mr. Panetta or Mrs. Feinstein on the recall ballot to offer state Democrats an alternative to Gray Davis, the embattled governor. Even now, as she takes over the Intelligence Committee and will preside over Mr. Panetta’s confirmation hearings, Mrs. Feinstein is said to be considering a campaign for governor in 2010.
Among Democrats who on Tuesday acted as surrogates for Mr. Obama in praising Mr. Panetta was former Senator Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat. Mr. Graham, a former chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said Mr. Panetta’s White House experience as a “consumer” of intelligence would help him to guide the agency toward improvements.
Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin and another member of the Intelligence Committee, said Mr. Panetta would offer “fresh leadership” and said he hoped he would “restore the rule of law after years of lawlessness.”
Representative Silvestre Reyes, Democrat of Texas and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Mr. Panetta would “provide strong leadership and effective management” to the agency.
Source: The New York Times
January 20, 2009: MAY BE THE SADDEST DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY?
“No Burris in our Senate” protests Harry Reid, the ever so self righteous. “Blago, you evil, step down. Richardson, we will not tolerate corruption in our pure and infallible government,” Democratic crocodile honorables are proclaiming! “We wash our hands of you, Blabbing Blago,” the so very nobles exclaim to the caught-with-his-pants-down Illinois Democratic governor. My, my, my, what proud defenders of decency, honesty and justice our politicians have recently become! Their wonderful actions should make your heart soar like an eagle with pride.
With politicians of such of integrity, why am I not soaring like an eagle? How come I don’t feel ever so clean, safe and humble in the face of this brave leadership? Why is it I only feel disgust? Could it be the only reason the Dems are angry with Blago is because he was careless enough to get caught? Could it be the timing of Blago’s arrest is of special benefit to the Obama thugs? Somewhere in the Obama worshiper’s murky souls is joy because all MSM attention is focused on Blago, Burris, and Richardson. They have turned these guys into red herrings so they can complete their final strategy without interference? While MSM is wasting news time making a big deal over these menial scandals, it continues to keep public the attention off the greatest and most horrible crime about to happen to America. The master minds of this hideous conspiracy are hoping the public will not notice or even care they are placing a USURPER in the Whitehouse! They are coating the event with so much glitz and glitter; they actually think the public will believe this is cause for celebration instead of profound sorrow! These guilty conspirators not only steal the presidency, rape the Constitution, they mind fuck the public! That is audacity at its finest!
Strange as it is, Obama is far less offensive to me in the over all scheme than the people currently in government who aided and abetted him knowing fully that once installed, he will be a USURPER. If I were Obama with an opportunity to be President regardless if I were or were not a NATURAL BORN CITIZEN, I would do exactly what Obama has done and is doing. Hooray for me and the heck with you! To hell with the American constitution. To hell with America. Take it to the limit and see if I can get away with it. What is there to lose compared with what is there to win? If Obama does get away with it, then he can become Emperor of the Universe. If the stupid American people should wake up, and say; “No, Obama, you are not qualified, you can not be president.” So what! So what is the worst they can do to him? So what if Sotoero’ hands get slapped. So what if he doesn’t get to play in that sand box for awhile. It is a small risk for such a huge prize.
If Sotoero takes the oath Jan.15, 2009 on President Lincoln’s Bible, our present government will knowingly have installed a USURPER. From Jan.15, 2009 forward the American people have been betrayed by their own elected people. This day will go forever down in world history as the blackest day of America. It will be known as the day the of the completion of the Coup d’ etat. America was sold to the highest bidder. In more basic terms, if Obama is sworn in on Jan.20, 2009, The American people have been screwed, blewed, and tattooed by its own government. The Obama thugs and worshipers will have taken America down a no return “shit’s creek”.
Obama is not the only villain in the Coup d’ etat. Obama has a whole legion of traitors willing to commit treason against America. The real villains are the whores and sluts of Congress, state and Supreme Courts, and the American People who knew Obama did not qualify and ignored the rule of the Constitution and supported him any way. Bill and Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Oprah Winfrey, The Kennedys, every member of the electoral college who voted for Obama in spite of being well advised to not do so until Obama first established proof he is qualified. (Which to this date he has not.) The judges who refused to make a simple court order—ask Obama to produce his docs and prove he qualifies. These judges chose not to do their jobs and dismissed the many law suits based upon technicality. They, too, are guilty and responsible for the loss of America. These judges know who they are and so does the American public. The nine Judges of the Supreme Court appear to be going along with the Coup d’ etat rather that honor their oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States and throw the bum out! (Justice Roberts has agreed to swear Obama, the Usurper into office.) What does that make Justice Roberts? What does that predict about what the judges are going to rule regarding Obama’s eligibility to be POTUS.
It is quite obvious there is a reverse lynch mentality in the actions of these Obama Worshipers. They appear to think that strength in numbers absolve them of guilt. Crime is crime whether committed by only one person or 1,000,000 people. Every person who knew Obama is not eligible to president who assisted Obama’s journey to the Whitehouse by ignoring the Constitutional rule in any way shape or form no matter how small or big is guilty of conspiracy, treason, perjury, public betrayal, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and, and, and, and, and, and, and.
Even if Obama moves into the Whitehouse and assumes the role of Presidency, the issue of Obama not being a Natural Born Citizen and is therefore a Usurper will not end. There are thousands of patriotic citizens who are going to continue through legal methods to insist Obama produce his documents and challenge the legality of anything he does while he remains in office without having proved he is qualified. This is the greatest scandal in American history. It has and will become a monumental mirror daily reflecting to all the people involved their own corrupt characters. This excruciating scandal is shouting to the whole world the names of the people who so willingly sold America—their own country– for the price of a little dirty power and 30 pieces of silver. The names of every one of you are well known. Sooner or later this mess will be sorted out. Even though you may dance at his inauguration, you will one day regret January 20, 2009. You will discover you didn’t get away with it. One day each and every one of you will be held legally accountable in the same way the Nazi war criminals were made to stand trial for their crimes against humanity. You know who you are. So does the world.
Therese Daniels
Usapatriots-shout
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/vos
Thank you Therese Daniels, IN on the blogs that I have read,yours was the one that said it the best.I feel exactly the same way,but unfortunately lack the knowlege of words to say it like you did .I congradulate you! What a powerfull message!!!!