Obama seeking to extend FBI chief Mueller's term

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will ask Congress to allow FBI Director Robert Mueller to remain in his job an extra two years, a rare exemption that would give the U.S. government stability in a time of change atop the national security team and renewed worldwide attention on terrorism.

In remarks in the Rose Garden honoring the nation's top police officials, President Obama confirmed his plan to keep Robert Mueller as FBI director another two years

"He sets set the gold standard for leading the bureau,'' said Obama. "He has improved relations with local law enforcement. ... And I hope Congress approves Mueller's term and leadership for the sake of our nation's safety and security."

The news comes as a surprise for an administration that had been seriously vetting candidates to replace Mueller, whose term is set to expire on Sept. 4 under a law that caps the service of FBI directors at 10 years.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Commitee, says it's an "unusual step" for Obama to take -- and that it sets "somewhat of a risky precedent."

Grassley said the 10-year term limit on the service of an FBI chief is "an important safeguard against improper political influence."

The Republican House Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, backed Obama's move.

"It is important to maintain continuity for our intelligence community during this transition period," Smith said.

Mueller was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush and began just a week before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of 2001. Well regarded by Republicans and Democrats, Mueller is known for transforming a crime-fighting agency into the front line of defense against terrorism.

Obama will ask Congress for a two-year extension that would apply only to Mueller. White House officials say it has never been done for an FBI director, but has in other cases.

The decision about Mueller is not tied to any specific threat against the United States in connection with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 1, officials said.

Administration officials said they have been consulting with lawmakers and are confident that an exception will be made to keep Mueller in his job.

Obama asked Mueller, 66, to stay and the FBI director said he would do so for two more years, the officials said.

Another potential factor in the mix: Any replacement for Mueller would have to be confirmed by an expanded Republican minority in the Senate, one with the votes to potentially complicate the prospects of an Obama nominee.

Under the scenario the White House has drawn, Mueller would serve until the start of September 2013, and then the president elected in 2012 would choose his successor for a decade.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee, endorsed Obama's decision and said he was "delighted" to hear Mueller was asked to stay.

The selection process for Mueller's replacement had begun at the start of this year. Obama's primary goal has been to find a nominee who is viewed as a heavy hitter on the terrorism issues the FBI faces.

Obama last month announced plans for a major reshuffling of his national security team, sending CIA Director Leon Panetta to the Pentagon to replace Robert Gates, a Bush administration holdover who has won high praise from Obama. Panetta is to be replaced at the spy agency with Gen. David Petraeus, the high-profile commander of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Marine Corps. Lt. Gen. John Allen will move from his post as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command in Florida to succeed Petraeus in Afghanistan, and veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker will become the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. The moves await Senate confirmation.

Mueller took over the bureau at something of a low point for the FBI's reputation.

The carnage a decade ago at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon exposed the FBI's vulnerabilities. The FBI missed a number of clues that might have averted the attacks.

Before Sept. 11, the FBI also came in for criticism on non-terrorism matters like the discovery that one of its own, FBI agent Robert Hanssen, had been spying for Moscow for two decades. Mueller went about fixing the causes of those and other problems with intensity.

A former U.S. Marine, Mueller came to the FBI after a long career in law enforcement.