Leon Panetta Tapped To Head CIA

By: Scott Conroy
Topics: White House

(AP)

In a surprise appointment, President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Leon Panetta to be the director of the CIA, reports CBS News director of political coverage Steve Chaggaris.

Panetta, 70, was President Clinton's chief of staff from 1994 to 1997 and represented the 16th District of California in the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993.

Panetta has no direct experience in intelligence. He did serve on the Iraq Study Group, which released a report in late 2006 laying out recommendations for changing course on the Iraq war.

Panetta and his wife Sylvia currently direct the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay, a university he helped establish, according to the Associated Press.

Scott Conroy
Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.
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by harbinger09 January 6, 2009 1:09 PM EST: Hmmmmm. Looks like he is Mafia connected on one hand, on the other, he looks like that cross dresser from M.A.S. H

So far, Obama has been largely paying his respects to the old Democratic political machine--no wonder the Super Delegates backed him and felt no threat from the "change" he said he would bring.; Reply to this comment


by redliberty1 January 6, 2009 4:14 AM EST: Panetta? Clinton''s chief of staff?
"was a consumer of intelligence information at the White House"
This is a dreadful appointment at a time when our country is at Risk.
What is Obama thinking? Where''s the change he promised us? Gone already!; Reply to this comment


by dakotaclark January 6, 2009 4:13 AM EST: Hmmm...

Leon Panetta has a very positive record as a former member of the U.S House of Representatives, Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget; and, as Chief of Staff to President Clinton.

By the way, he has previous, responsible, "intelligence community experience" while serving with the U.S. Army; and, the White House Chief of Staff is certainly part of the %u201Cintelligence community.%u201D

Most important, however, Leon Panetta was the main person responsible for balancing the budget. Also, as Chief of Staff, he made day to day White House operations work more smoothly, through better management.

Leon Panetta''''s reputation and credentials are flawless. Plus, he is a very good person, to boot!

He has an excellent record of cutting costs and doing an outstanding job at whatever the task.

Although he is an ''outsider'' in the intelligence community, Leon Panetta does not carry past CIA baggage.

Therefore, he is an excellent choice to manage the activities of the CIA.; Reply to this comment


by lightnin001 January 6, 2009 12:20 AM EST: How quaint! Now it appears that the "democrats" feel free to discount knowledge and experience in every instance, for every position, forever!; Reply to this comment


by lightnin001 January 6, 2009 12:17 AM EST: Why would anyone expect the least-qualified, least-experienced, least-accomplished president-elect we''ve ever had to do any better? Why would anyone expect a Chicago politician to do any different (It''s not about qualifications, it''s about politics!); Reply to this comment


by Hartru January 5, 2009 7:22 PM EST: Absoultely terrible pick.
Obama has made some good choices so far, but this one was awful.
Panetta has no experience and no clue how to do the job.
My sense is most employees at the CIA winced hard and said ***? when they heard this one.

Posted by AlanW1077
------------------------
Experience, experience, when you look at recent history, what can you say for those WITH experience, and what they have done??; Reply to this comment


by hatesthecolt January 5, 2009 7:12 PM EST: My sense is most employees at the CIA winced hard and said ***? when they heard this one.

Posted by AlanW1077

Not the analysts who are sick of the ops community running the show and not the military intel community who have viewed CIA as dysfunctional for years. It would have been great to have someone with an intel career in the job but there clearly wasn''t anyone.; Reply to this comment


by Hartru January 5, 2009 7:09 PM EST: Best be vary careful here - his desire to clean house at the CIA is what got Kennedy assasinated.; Reply to this comment


by alanw1077 January 5, 2009 7:09 PM EST: Absoultely terrible pick.
Obama has made some good choices so far, but this one was awful.
Panetta has no experience and no clue how to do the job.
My sense is most employees at the CIA winced hard and said ***? when they heard this one.; Reply to this comment


by samael2014 January 5, 2009 7:01 PM EST: Considering the secrecy of the CIA''s budget is only outdone by it''s utter waste and lack of transparency, the last thing the CIA AND U.S. taxpayer needs now is someone who isn''t there to do a MAJOR overhaul on it''s contracts, law-breaking and spending by "executive order". There has to be some good to come out of this appointment, considering the enormous toppling heap of bad to come out of these budget busting creeps and whatever the hell they had to do with 9-11 and worse at taxpayer expense.

LOTS TO CLEAN UP. Good Choice considering the Bush dynasty entrails throughout the CIA, but in no way an enviable task.; Reply to this comment