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."

[ms1-1-1]

- SAY IT AIN''T SO -

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

THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE BIGGEST JOKE IN HISTORY OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ...

FACT Leon Panetta is M.A.F.I.A he is a well known fluke, fake in Monterey, California.

Leon Panetta served in the US Army Ford Ord, California from 1964-1966.

THIS IS SUCH A JOKE... HE was a bookkeeper a/k/a finance, who falsified payroll, wrong hours, wrong pay scales except for his OWN paycheck... to solve the problem we went to the IG, wow suddenly everything was 100% accurate it was that fast.

He was President of so called California State University, Monterey Bay, he collected a mamouth salary,just bluffing his way, only AFTER he had already destroyed the economy there how did he do it? BRAC, he recommended the closure of Ford Ord, California destroyed Seaside, Ca, et al., they relied on business from soldiers at Ford Ord.

This time I can not agree with this as even remotely possible that and MAFIA be head of CIA, cool lets get Ozzy Osbourne.

And to commemorate the occasion I think I will have my armpits waxed for special effects%u2026 I%u2019m doing a new study on pain tolerance for the United States Army%u2026

[erb0087]

Another CBSNews forum poster on another story, said it best:

"After Obama has been President for a while, you guys will wonder why you ever voted for Bush."

It will be the same feeling you get after you''ve gotten rid of a chronic "lemon" that was constantly in the garage for repairs, and bought yourself a classy dependable automobile.

[erb0087]

"If Panetta is a joke then what is Scooter Libby?"

A criminal.

[gophwy71]

Just another typical Obamite Bureaucrat.

"CHANGE WE NEED"

Yeah, right...........

[hatesthecolt]

I guess all we''''re going to hear for the next 16 years is the constant whining of the neocons... the ones that just about destroyed this country...



Posted by ne_patriot7

Hey, ne_patriot, how about the choke job by Manning? Guess the Brady-Manning controversy is resolved finally, eh?

[ne_patriot7]

Why would anyone with half a brain hire somebody for such an important job, that has no past experience in doing it;...........
.................... God help us all!

------------------------------------------------------
Posted by brannigon at 09:00 AM : Jan 06, 2009

S''funny... I don''t remember any of you jerks objecting to Bush appointing his friend, the horse show judge to head FEMA... then came Katrina... you''re doing a great job, Brownie...

Yea.... right..!!

I guess all we''re going to hear for the next 16 years is the constant whining of the neocons... the ones that just about destroyed this country...

[omega40]

Since poor people are also citizens and pay taxes they have the same right that you take for granted to not be discriminated against or to be able to conduct business, own a home, and live in a good community.


Posted by Mcliar

In the conservative vision of Reagan''s "shiny city on a hill", the shiny city was a gated community of McMansions and Hummers and absolutely no poor people.

[hatesthecolt]

here will be career intell officials in charge of operational units and he will need to listen to them and then give them what they need to fulfill their missions but it isn''''t like he''''s going to have to be out in the field and have operational skills.

Posted by Mcliar

RIGHT! And he gets to ask WHY they need what they say they need and what they are going to do with it and then he can judge if the answers make sense. If they don''t he can turn them down and if they lie to him, he can and hopefully will fire them.

[armysgt1]

JesusEyes,

"Gathering Information Is Easy"

Not sure how you have developed that conclusion, but it is completely false. Gathering useless information is easy, but gathering actionable information is difficult. The actionable information is what matters.

[hatesthecolt]

The problem with your view is that the inexperienced appointees will have not idea what to ask and what to demand. I too work in this field and have never seen anyone without experience hired at any level other than summer intern.

Posted by ArmySGT1

It''s not my view; it''s a fact. Political appointees generally come from the political side, business, congressional staff, etc. They are generally NOT from career civil service therefore they don''t have direct experience. But they don''t need it for the jobs they are being asked to do as long as they are bright, intuitive and it doesn''t hurt to be fearless.

[allulosers]

Posted by IOWEIGN

IOWEIGN -- Your post represents an opinion editorial from one man''s point of view (obviously a democrat who refuses to allow his party to take the blame - or, at least part of it).

The fundamental question is two-fold, and very simple:

1. The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was specifically created as a political tool to guarantee housing for the inner city folks that felt like they were getting left in the dust (aka - appeasing the poor). In the business world, this is known as "Bad Business decisions".

2. Simply put, the poor could not afford their $2000 mortages when the going got rough. In a sense, it was not only the CRA that contributed, but poor economic decisions, by those inner city folks, that went for the gusto, and ended up falling flat on their faces.

3. The result: an increased trend in foreclosures which in part, led to the meltdown of the housing market.

[nincomp]

Correct, which is exactly why Panetta is a good choice. He''''s not stupid and he had been around intelligence as White House Chief of Staff. The CIA needs a good house-cleaning and they need someone who is not completely inbred to do it.

Posted by hatesthecolt at 08:48 AM : Jan 06, 2009
+

I guess CIA employees who participated in the previous adminsistration''s illegal torture tactics will all be applying for early retirements. They won''t be able to face Penatta''s questioning.

[assemblyofso]

Panetta is just as qualified to direct the CIA as Obama is to be President.

[armysgt1]

hatesthecolt,

"The good ones don''''t get involved in the day to day workings unless they have to; they watch, ask the hard questions and demand results"


The problem with your view is that the inexperienced appointees will have not idea what to ask and what to demand. I too work in this field and have never seen anyone without experience hired at any level other than summer intern.

[hatesthecolt]

I guess the guys already in the CIA will have to teach their boss how to do his job, then resent him because he makes more and does not know how to do his job and someone in the White House will have to teach obama how to do his job, then resent him because he gets the glory and fame and money.

Posted by rosesnpearls

He''s not going there to do analysis or conduct ops. He''s there to ensure that those who are trained to do it do it consistent with the policies of the administration.

Look, my spouse and I combined have over 40 years federal and military experience, half of it in intel agencies. If you think most political appointees come in with much if any experience you are seriously delusional. What they are there to do and what they care about is not day to day execution of functions but that the execution and important decisions are carrying out the intentions of the administration. The good ones don''t get involved in the day to day workings unless they have to; they watch, ask the hard questions and demand results.

What CIA needs is the "hard questions" part. They have been alternately allowed to do what they wanted or told to do what the administration wanted for 20 years now. Obama is looking to change that, GOOD ON HIM. CIA is completely inbred; they have a culture. They hire idealogues then indoctrinate them. By the time they are senior managers, they are broken. He HAD to go completely outside. I think it was a great idea.

[brannigon]

Why would anyone with half a brain hire somebody for such an important job, that has no past experience in doing it; especially a job so crucial for right now! Well, America did the same! They put an inexperienced, rookie senator in the most important position in the nation! He has no experience, not military minded, and has turned his back and criticized the crooks he used to associate with in Chicago! Don''t be surprised at other ridiculous decisions and ideas Mr Obama comes up with! You wanted him America; you got him! Look at the mistakes he''s already making. This is just the beginning! God help us all!

[specialty8]

Why did''t he give the job to Underdog? After all that was one of the ones that gave him money to get elected.Underdog also has the experiance to do the job after 50yrs. of fighting crime.

[ioweign]

What a surprise. We have a naive, inexperienced man to be our next president and he chooses someone without intelligence experience to lead the CIA. Who are the employees and the nation going to look up to? I guess the guys already in the CIA will have to teach their boss how to do his job, then resent him because he makes more and does not know how to do his job and someone in the White House will have to teach obama how to do his job, then resent him because he gets the glory and fame and money.

Posted by rosesnpearls at 08:49 AM : Jan 06, 2009


The people already working in the CIA will not have to constantly be looking over their shoulders to see if they have been "outed" like Plame...

[omega40]

Maybe we need our first MBA director of intelligence. If our first MBA president did so well, and those MBAs on Wall street and in Detroit were so successful, how could we lose by choosing one?

[rosesnpearls]

What a surprise. We have a naive, inexperienced man to be our next president and he chooses someone without intelligence experience to lead the CIA. Who are the employees and the nation going to look up to? I guess the guys already in the CIA will have to teach their boss how to do his job, then resent him because he makes more and does not know how to do his job and someone in the White House will have to teach obama how to do his job, then resent him because he gets the glory and fame and money.