January 5, 2009 2:52 PM

Leon Panetta Tapped To Head CIA

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(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.

Tags:: leon panetta ,; cia ,; cabinet ,; obama

Topics:: Cabinet

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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 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 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


by xlib January 5, 2009 6:59 PM EST: Maybe now we know why hill gave up fairly easily. Who says some things aren''t for sale.; Reply to this comment


by justspiffy January 5, 2009 6:58 PM EST: Oh yeah valerie Plame..that''s just plain stupid. Obama will do great.
Weep Republicans.; Reply to this comment


by specialty8 January 5, 2009 6:55 PM EST: Wow another guy with no experiance.Paneta,no experiance in intelligences,Hillary, no experiance in forien policy and Obama,never ran a car wash.; Reply to this comment


by hatesthecolt January 5, 2009 6:44 PM EST: Exactly, She knows where the closets are.

Posted by rightbehind

Do not be fooled: anyone in ops that long has friends in those closets. The only reason she is outside is because Bush Cheney wanted to spank her husband. I am not convinced she''s any more an "outsider" than any of the others. And we do NOT need an Ops person in charge under any circumstance.; Reply to this comment


by hatesthecolt January 5, 2009 6:29 PM EST: He should have chose Valerie Plame.

Posted by rightbehind

nope, she spent too much time inside too.; Reply to this comment


by neonink January 5, 2009 6:24 PM EST: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME....; Reply to this comment


by thcarson-2009 January 5, 2009 6:24 PM EST: What''s so suprising? Everyone else he picks are Clinton re-treads.; Reply to this comment


by hatesthecolt January 5, 2009 6:19 PM EST: Sound like an opportunity for major house cleaning! Clearly Obama is not satisfied with the status quo or the options for choices in CIA. Good for him. It''s way past time.; Reply to this comment


by parrots21 January 5, 2009 6:16 PM EST: Or rather that FINALLY we''ll be ABLE to KILL OBL .........; Reply to this comment

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