Panetta's Past Atypical For CIA Nominee

Eight-Term Congressman Knows Government, But Has Never Been An Intelligence Professional

(CBS/AP)  Leon Panetta, Barack Obama's surprise choice to head the CIA, clearly isn't someone with much hands-on national security or intelligence experience. But no one disputes that the man knows government.

The former eight-term congressman from California has had plenty experience in overseeing all aspects of the federal bureaucracy as a former chairman of the House Budget Committee, as budget director and then chief of staff for President Bill Clinton; and more recently as a member of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.

"It is true that he doesn't have an intelligence background. But he certainly dealt with intelligence. In the Iraq Study Group, we dealt with it every day. He certainly dealt with it as chief of staff," said Democrat Lee Hamilton, former chairman of the House International Relations Committee and chairman of the Iraq Study Group. Panetta brings an "outside perspective" to the job, he said.

Still, Hamilton said, "I think it will be very important that Leon bring into his inner circle, onto his team, professional intelligence people."

Panetta, 70, who has an easy laugh and slightly owlish demeanor behind large round glasses, was popular on both sides of the aisle in the 16 years that he represented the Monterey, California, district where he was born to Italian immigrant parents. He still lives there today with his wife, Sylvia.

The couple founded the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy in 1998 and both serve as the institute's directors. It is based at California State University, Monterey Bay, which he helped establish on the site of the former U.S. Army base, Ford Ord, where he served while he was in the Army from 1964-1966. According to his biography, "the Institute serves as a nonpartisan, not-for-profit study center for the advancement public policy, seeking in particular to attract thoughtful men and women to lives of public service."

As a first lieutenant, Panetta did have some experience with intelligence work.

A former Republican, Panetta, began his public career as a congressional aid, served in the Nixon administration as an assistant secretary of health, education and welfare and director of the U.S. Office for Civil Rights. He later served as executive assistant to New York Mayor John Lindsey. A lawyer, Panetta became a Democrat in 1971.

In his long government career, he was "a very popular guy, a very steady hand, somebody who was able to get the job done without making a lot of enemies," said Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University. Baker said those traits should help Panetta overcome inevitable grumbling in the intelligence community.

Not everyone was persuaded.

Fellow Californian Sen. Dianne Feinstein, set to chair the Select Committee on Intelligence, indicated that the choice caught her off guard.

"I know nothing about this other than what I read. My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time," she said in a statement.

Sen. Feinstein told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer that she was blindsided by the announcement.

"She told me she's not saying she won't vote against him, but it will be an uphill battle now to get him confirmed," Schieffer said.

If confirmed by the Senate, Panetta will take over at a trying time for the spy agency, tarnished by infighting and by intelligence failures in the run-up to the war in Iraq.

Also, the CIA chief no longer reports directly to the president but to the relatively new post of director of national intelligence. Obama has selected Retired Adm. Dennis Blair to head that post.

"Between the DNI and the director of central intelligence, it's harder and harder to figure out who's directing what," said Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who has an intelligence background.

He suggested Panetta's brief experience with intelligence as a first lieutenant and much later as a member of the Iraq Study Group don't count for much.

"I didn't find that people in the Iraq Study Group developed any particular experience in intelligence," said Cordesman. "The recommendations that came out were essentially political."

Panetta also was apparently not Obama's first choice for the job. John Brennan, Obama's transition intelligence adviser with extensive intelligence experience, withdrew his name from consideration late last year over his role in some Bush administration detention and interrogation policies.

Panetta's supporters pointed to the Californian's managerial skills and ability to reach across party lines, as he did in 1996 when, representing the White House, he helped negotiate the 1996 budget, which took a major step toward balancing the budget.

"He is a strong personality with an incredible level of integrity," said Norman Ornstein, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who has served with Panetta on various boards and study groups. "The CIA is a large and complex organization. A large part of the job is about managing people, a skill that is not all that widespread."

In an interview two years ago, Panetta said his experience in Congress and at the White House persuaded him of the importance of not having "a tin ear to the political consequences" of major issues that grip the country, as he claimed Bush's team did on Iraq and Hurricane Katrina.

If a leadership vacuum or gridlock results, "leadership has to bear a lot of the responsibility. Because, in the end, it's up to them basically to be able to put discipline together to get both the House and the Senate to work," Panetta said.

Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution, said Panetta's selection was an invigorating gamble by Obama.

"Let Panetta look at all of this mess from a clean slate," said Hess. "He is the wise outsider - inside government, outside intelligence. That's a great combination."

[hatesthecolt]

Cheney didn''t have intel experience either and it didn''t stop him from running over to Langley and telling the analysts how to do their jobs. What Panetta brings to the table are: (a) DISTANCE from the community, and (b) a nose for BS (which the ops community will start slinging immediately if they haven''t already. Good choice. Go get''em Leon!

[abrame]

Caribou Panetta

[downtowner97]

I''d like to give my personal recommendation to Leon Panetta for the job. I had lunch with him in California years ago. He''s intelligent and thoughtful. Our government, and our intelligence community need intelligent, thoughtful people.

[jowand]

Would make a good Chief of Staff, bad choice for the CIA, he''s a backstabber. It''s a political appointment which is not good for the CIA.

[otrama]

The saddest thing here is that the incompetence of the Bush administration has destroyed the wisdom of choosing someone with experience.

The stupidity of the Bush people has made the Obama team irrational in their selection here and the hate that Bush has engendered has taken away the discernment of the Obama supporters.

Gee, I wonder which direction this country will CONTINUE to go in?

If change means just a new form of incompetence, then we are getting much of it with this selection. We really need a third way.

I want Obama''s choices to quit being a response to Bush and begin being a response to the condition this country is in.
End of rant.

[toolmangler-2009]

Just wanted to clarify the "experience"
Posted by wtlib at 10:03 PM : Jan 05, 2009




Thats fine, he has no cadre or baggage and can learn on the job just like the new President.

[mommakat64]

Doesn''t this sound quite a bit like a political patronage job? Rewarding people with political jobs, like rewarding Hillary with a big cabinet job because BO would need all of her friends and influence....patronage, patronage, what you do when you''ve come up in the cesspool that is Chicago Democratic politics. Blogo''s going to get off, and Burris will be seated, and OB''s Presidency will always have an ethics cloud hanging over it.

[spinproof]

How often has a sports team needed a player at a particular position but selected the best choice available in the draft even though that choice plays a totally different position? The idea is to select the best player available regardless of position! Leon Panetta is the best choice available to head the CIA where personal character, standings and credibility trumps experience. Despite Gov. Richardson''s sudden problems which led him to withdraw as Commerce Secretary, he had more diplomatic experience for Secretary of State than Sen. Hillary Clinton who has none and despite the fact that Gov. Bill Richardson is probably the best U.S. Diplomat ever producing results when we really needed it, Sen. Hillary Clinton was still determined to be the best choice for the job as U.S. Secretary of State! So the point is the overall qualities of a person can and does trump experience!

[terrorislame]

BLO Wind Knows NOThing
Would make a good Chief of Staff, bad choice for the CIA, he''''s a backstabber. It''''s a political appointment which is not good for the CIA.

Posted by jowand at 10:23 PM : Jan 05, 2009
--------------
Everybody on the Planet
KNOWS BLO-Wand has NO INTELligence,...Just a Burned Out Shrubbie-McCainiac,..That`s Too Stupid to Shut Up & Go With His Master back to Texas or Dubai ,...Shrub will need his boots licked once in awhile,...BLO-wand,Tell him You`ll pay to do it

[brianp55]

Why not the Head of NASA?

[ms1-1-1]

Leon Panetta is MAFIA.

He is well known in Montery, CA for BRAC Base Closure of Ford Ord, California.

Leon Panetta wanted Monterey, CA , Santa Cruz, Ca, Carmel Valley, CA, Marina, CA to be wealthy elites exclusively.

He destroyed the economy in Seaside, Ca more to the point Marina, Ca he is a well known white collar criminal.

This is a good appointment. He''s an Attorney-At-Law that lies, cheats, steals for living. He will blend in perfect with Clinstones.

Man are we in for a long ride is right and to think I voted Obama. What the hail.

[aldon61]

Panetta''s appointment is a deep disappointment to me. So far, Obama has chosen pretty well, but this one reeks of incompetence. It reminds me of "Brownie" of Katrina fame. Clinton and Panetta don''t belong in Obama''s inner circle. The senate should reject this nomination.

[cattiej]

Patrick Fitzgerald would have made the best choice for head of the CIA. But then, he is probably too honest. Why is Obama choosing all these people from Illinois i.e. The guy who headed up the Chicago School system...the Chicago school system is in a total mess. The drop out rate if very high. Many of the schools need repairs and better teachers. The only reason he was picked was because he was Obama''s basketball buddy...????

[ms1-1-1]

trishab59,

this is the one time I deeply have to agree with you, po po choice, and Clinstone as in Vince Foster murderer keep it real, she ran against Obama why the hail would you want her on payroll?

she has even told staff members had she been chosen as VP she planned to assasinate Obama hello? Yes, I agree with you the so called quote end quote " intelligence community " is full of 3 year olds at best.

[ms1-1-1]

aldon61


THANK YOU !


AMEN !

[ms1-1-1]

trishab59

BUT WAIT THERE''S MORE, you may not know this yet I''m not certain BUSH has planned a $700 Billion new U.S. embassy in Iraq have you read the article yet? I saw it earlier.

[billrich11]

Are you friggin kidding me??

I was okay with all the former "TeeeeeenieWeeeeeeeeeenie" Clinton retreads, but this Panetta appointment sends us right down the same exact road that lead to 9/11.

An inexperienced President doing a "Pay to Play" with some zero experienced zero like Panetta??

Barack Millhouse NObama caved to the code pinko wing of the DumboCraphead Party with this one, no doubt.

Uncle Sam, as I have told you before, drop your pants, bend over and grab your ankles, because the DumboCrapheads are about to breech load you straight up the old keester!!!!

[ms1-1-1]

trishab59

you may want to look at this :

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/05/iraq/main4699417.shtml?tag=topHome;topStories





U.S. Opens New $700M Baghdad Embassy
Largest American Embassy Ever Called Symbol of Continuing U.S. Commitment In Iraq
Comments 50
BAGHDAD, Jan. 5, 2009
Addressing an inauguration ceremony under tight security, Ambassador Ryan Crocker said the $700 million embassy was testimony to America''s long-term friendship with Iraq, where about 146,000 U.S. troops are deployed.

[billrich11]

Are you out of your mind NObama??

I was okay with all these former "TeeeeeenieWeeeeeeeeeenie" Clinton retreads up to this point. This Panetta appointment sends us right down the same exact road that lead to 9/11.

An inexperienced President doing a "Pay to Play" with some zero experienced zero like Panetta??

No doubt Barack Millhouse NObama caved to the code pinko wing of the DumboCraphead Party with this one, no doubt.

Unfriggin believable. Even for a nation hating libturd like NObama.

[ms1-1-1]

BillRich11


why do I suddenly feel like singing " where are the clowns, bring in the clowns " god we are in for a hail of a long ride ... normally I have not complained about Obama what so ever but Leon Panetta for this position, god keep it REAL before I go insane already, ok maybe I''m already there but don''t realize it... whew ! ! ! !

[ms1-1-1]

again a good consideration... Patrick Fitzgerald

what straw did Leon Panetta come out off ... say it ain''t so... god I''m in the mood for a load of twinkies already ...

[spinproof]

Because of what went on at the CIA and the decisions made at the CIA by "experienced" professionals that still led the U.S. to a suspect war in Iraq there can be no business as usual at the CIA and in that context this pick while not traditional is right on target! In order to find out what really went wrong and maybe uncover other dirt this choice of Leon Panetta addresses the current state of affairs at the CIA. A traditional experienced insider will only cover tracks that at this point in time Americans want uncovered. Lets also not forget Pres. Bush''s dad was not only a former President himself but a former Director of the CIA as well who still wields considerable influence in that circle that needs to be neutralized to uncover certain facts. The CIA needs a credible outsider right now. If the CIA was not a part of the problem itself I would agree this would be a questionable pick.

[harp1963]

Maybe that''s just what the CIA needs. Someone who is an outsider making sure they have the United States of America''s best interests in mind, not a bunch of power freaks abusing their power.

[platteman]

Who won the election?? Looks like Clinton did!! All the old Clinton people are now working for Obama. I thought he promised change. Oh yes that is right. Take the money from my pocket and change it to someone else''s pocket.

Just what we need. I know nothing running the intelegence. Can''t wait for the next terrorist attack.
Bet the Dems will want to talk to them also.
God help the USA. We are in for a rude awaking.

[spinproof]

Posted by Platteman at 12:48 AM : Jan 06, 2009
Posted by b4ucmyI at 12:49 AM : Jan 06, 2009

I agree with both of you, I felt the same way at first, but then Pres.-elect Obama pointed out he was the "change" and that "change" is directed from the top. I agree with him too, after all, how many political professionals are there to really choose from? Not many and former Clinton administration officials for the most part did a good job. What new political figures could Obama have selected that would have been acceptable minus Republicans? Pres.-elect Obama has exposed himself to another Clinton White House run in 4 years instead of 8 who can exploit his choice of the previous Clinton administration with brutal campaign ads that will hurt his chances of reelection unless he performs well and negates that possibility!

[dakotaclark]

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.

[nightliter]

Various World Power Groups are licking their chops.

From;

http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=CA&VIPID=74

Rejected immigration ceiling in 1990:

Rep Panetta voted AGAINST the Smith amendment to H.R.4300 that would have maintained hard caps on most categories of immigration. Unlike, Rep. Panetta, 143 Representatives (of 435) feared that the 1990 legislation would unleash a chain reaction that would drive immigration numbers ever upwards. They backed an amendment that would have placed an absolute annual ceiling of 630,000 on family, worker and lottery immigration. But Rep. Panetta helped defeat that ceiling 266 to 143.

Voted for huge increase in 1990:

Rep. Panetta helped pass H.R.4300 that increased the numbers in all categories of immigration. America?s immigration tradition had been around 250,000 immigrants a year until the 1980s when numbers rose dramatically to more than 500,000 a year. After Rep. Panetta voted three times in 1990 in favor of raising limits, immigration has now snowballed to around 1,000,000 (one million) a year, contributing the majority of U.S. population and labor growth, congestion and sprawl.

[ms1-1-1]

Maybe that''''s just what the CIA needs. Someone who is an outsider making sure they have the United States of America''''s best interests in mind, not a bunch of power freaks abusing their power.
---------------------------
Posted by harp1963 at 12:47 AM : Jan 06, 2009


I SAY WE VOTE FOR " CHER " head of CIA, the beat goes on and and on and on and the beat goes on

in addition let''s realease San Quinton Prisoners to be custodians for White House... and George W. Bush Jr. be the chief maintenance engineer...

[ms1-1-1]

wvu7462


he was in bookkeeping ....

[ms1-1-1]

trishab59


2 funnie, seriously I''m loosing and year to date it''s... Only 14 days until January 20, 2009, Inauguration Day

[ms1-1-1]

trishab59


2 funnie, seriously I''m loosing it, and year to date it''s... Only 14 days until January 20, 2009, Inauguration Day

[ms1-1-1]

Leon Panetta, Barack Obama''''s surprise choice to head the CIA, ...

SINCE WE''RE AT " SURPRISE " MODE .....can we just pick -G-A-R-F-I-E-L-D-

[ms1-1-1]

jedi23231,

Monica will be in charge of '' CHARM SCHOOL '' ...

[dragontat2]

pssttt... jedi... there is no Messiah.

[tawpdawg111]

Another unqualified Clinton hack. So much change my head is spinnin and I feel like I''''m back in the 90''''s.

What will Monica be nominateed for?

Posted by jedi23231 at 01:40 AM : Jan 06, 2009
*******************

I bet you DO wish you could set the clock back 8 or 10 years and undo the DISASTER that has been foisted upon this once-great nation.

As for Monica, your posts suggest you wouldn''t know about what she is qualified for.

[rapepublicon]

The DCI -- the Director of Central Intelligence -- is an administrative figurehead, a political appointee. His DDO and DDI -- Deputy Directors of Operations and Intelligence -- run the field ops and intel analysis so vital to CIA''s essential business: spying abroad.

Panetta should concentrate more on partnering with his DDA -- his chief of administration -- to clean up the bureaucratic nightmare that CIA and other U.S. national security agencies have all wound themselves up in.

He''s a good pick for that job. He need not have been a spy himself. He needs to streamline the Agency and its related operations, bring them all into the Third Millennium. He''ll leave the espionage work itself to his deputies and their directorates.

Does anyone imagine that George H.W. Bush really knew what he was doing when he ''ran'' CIA? He didn''t; he was a political suit who let others do the heavy lifting. (Of course, there''s never been a Bush with any grasp of intelligence, however one might care to define it.)

[erb0087]

"Leon Panetta... clearly isn"t someone with much hands-on national security or intelligence experience"

They don"t know that.

He"s probably been doing a lot of top secret stuff that can"t be revealed because of national security concerns.

Isn"t that obvious ?

Why else would he be picked for this job ?

[erb0087]

The government is always saying that "unmanned drones" are killing terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Who do they think they"re fooling ?

That was Leon Panetta piloting these small aircraft and taking out those terrorists in top secret action deep behind enemy lines.

Of course they couldn"t reveal his identity. They don"t want another Valerie Plame outing scandal.

[rusure5]

Re: "Eight-Term Congressman Knows Government, But Has Never Been An Intelligence Professional"

Good.

Maybe he''ll have a chance at ridding the CIA of terrorists and drug traffickers.

Or even better...disband it completely.

[rusure5]

Breaking-

Blackwater murderer to face trial:

"Federal prosecutors in Seattle intend to charge a former Blackwater USA operative for fatally shooting the bodyguard of the Iraqi vice president after a drunken Christmas party in Baghdad''s secure "Green Zone" in 2006, according to the man''s attorney and sources within the U.S. Department of Justice."

[evian_ycnan]

GOP leadership

Nixon : Megalomania
Reagan: Alzheimer`s
Bush: Alcohol-induced Dementia
McCain: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Yeahaa! But the Republiscum like their head cases.

[evian_ycnan]

Its good to have a civilian in control of the CIA. Americans always have to worry that this rogue spy agency just might try to pull off a coup and establish military, fascist rule in this country. I civilian in charge makes that more difficult.

Posted by mtee12 at 02:01 AM : Jan 06, 2009


Slightly Paranoid?

Posted by wvu7462 at 03:28 AM : Jan 06, 2009

-------

Just because you`re paranoid doesn`t mean that they aren`t out to get you...

[rangerdahl]

Evian_Ycnan:

You forgot two---
Carter: Peter principle manifested
Clinton: Uber ego with perverted sexual drive

[irmcvet971]

Obama administration: Jurassic Pork.

Posted by b4ucmyI at 06:19 AM : Jan 06, 2009


LOL Well at least it isn''t building the Bridge to NO WHERE!! Sieg Heil Y''all! LOL

[irmcvet971]

Aw c''''mon, give him a chance. Obama and almost all of his other cabinet choices are either caught up in a corruption investigation, or are totally inexperienced or unfit to do the jobs he chose them to do, so what''''s the difference? This is going to be great watching the implosion of the democratic party over the next four years. At this point, I would be very surprised if Obama makes it to the end of his term before Washington kicks his sorry a$$ back to Chicago.

Posted by theonesucks at 05:23 AM : Jan 06, 2009

ROFLMAO Now YOU have been playing with that Magic Swastika again haven''t You?? ROFLMAO WHO in the Obama Administration is under investigation? Who in the Obama Administration is another Gonzo or Brownie? You poor fascist can''t seem to get over it but YOU are NO LONGER relevant!! You''re "Hate them because I call them a Liberal" line just isn''t working for you anymore and, being a fascist, YOU lack the mental ability to come up with anything better. Come on! You can admit it!! Sieg Heil Y''all. LOL

[irmcvet971]

I don''''t care if your a dem or a republican. This pick is dangerous. THis is really an awful decision and the first sign of the fact that we elected a guy with zero foreign policy experience

Posted by jedi23231 at 06:45 AM : Jan 06, 2009

Well MAYBE, if you had any creditability left AND you knew how to talk to and debate your fellow citizens, instead of the same tired old fascist garbage, you would have a point. As it stands who in their right mind listens to any of you fascist? WHO??

[rangerdahl]

It doesn''t matter who the director is. The agency is so hidebound, bureaucratic, slow, and recalcitrant to change--you could Mickey Mouse in there and still get the same result. Quit worrying about who is in charge, the result will always be the same. He will just go and get his trench coat, be fed what he needs to know, and muddle throught it like every other cabinet appointee. The goverment machine will roll him over.

[rangerdahl]

irmcvet971:

And you are educating someone on how to argue and debate? Your ad hominem attacks are nearly always filled some kind of reference to fascism, Nazism, and end with Sieg Heil and LOL. Nobody can learn much about debating from you...what they can learn is how to prepare shallow, accusatory, personal attacks not underpinned by fact. You Sir, stink at debates. you are however very well versed at spewing bile, bias, bombast,and bitterness.

[irmcvet971]

Its good to have a civilian in control of the CIA. Americans always have to worry that this rogue spy agency just might try to pull off a coup and establish military, fascist rule in this country. I civilian in charge makes that more difficult.

Posted by mtee12 at 02:01 AM : Jan 06, 2009


Slightly Paranoid?

Posted by wvu7462 at 03:28 AM : Jan 06, 2009

You poor 6th grade drop out! You folks are so embarrassing! It''s called HISTORY and is FAR from being Paranoid. The CIA has a long and sometimes dark history of such things.... PLEASE get an education...stop embarrassing yourself and your country! SIEG HEIL Y''all.

[irmcvet971]

And you are educating someone on how to argue and debate? Your ad hominem attacks are nearly always filled some kind of reference to fascism, Nazism, and end with Sieg Heil and LOL. Nobody can learn much about debating from you...what they can learn is how to prepare shallow, accusatory, personal attacks not underpinned by fact. You Sir, stink at debates. you are however very well versed at spewing bile, bias, bombast,and bitterness.

Posted by rangerdahl at 06:54 AM : Jan 06, 2009

Okay so you don''t like me.. what does that have to do with the issue? SIEG HEIL Y''all.