Comments on: Out With The Bad, In With The…Worse? http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/ Refunds Cheerfully Given To All Who Disagree Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:29:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Mark http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610354 Mark Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:46:14 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610354 Well, he was the UN Ambassador and the envoy to China - that's more relevant experience, in my view, than Chief of Staff, which is a purely managerial position... Well, he was the UN Ambassador and the envoy to China – that’s more relevant experience, in my view, than Chief of Staff, which is a purely managerial position…

]]> By: peter http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610342 peter Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:24:23 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610342 George H W Bush had no intelligence experience before running the CIA, and he did a pretty good job as far as I can tell. George H W Bush had no intelligence experience before running the CIA, and he did a pretty good job as far as I can tell.

]]> By: Steve http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610196 Steve Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:23:25 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610196 Those of us that think choosing an outsider to head up Intelligence is a good move are not alone: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/Neocons_for_Panetta.html as the author says, not sure Obama wants these guys as friends, but, so be it. Those of us that think choosing an outsider to head up Intelligence is a good move are not alone:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/Neocons_for_Panetta.html

as the author says, not sure Obama wants these guys as friends, but, so be it.

]]> By: Bob from Ohio http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610159 Bob from Ohio Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:06:42 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610159 Who cares. The CIA is worthless and always has been. Name 5 things the CIA has ever gotten right. Name 3. Name 1. I will say that Bob Gates must be laughing hs a** off today. The Defense Intellingence Agency and National Security Agency at Defense already dominate. The tired old man at CIA and the career sailor at DNI wil not change that. In fact., it will get a lot worse for the crappy CIA. Who cares. The CIA is worthless and always has been.

Name 5 things the CIA has ever gotten right. Name 3. Name 1.

I will say that Bob Gates must be laughing hs a** off today. The Defense Intellingence Agency and National Security Agency at Defense already dominate. The tired old man at CIA and the career sailor at DNI wil not change that. In fact., it will get a lot worse for the crappy CIA.

]]> By: Steve http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610146 Steve Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:55:30 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610146 How's about we give Obama the benefit of the doubt (did I just write that?), to wit: he chooses a proven manager, who is a non-spook, to run the agency because anyone that has been in the agency is invested in, if not the author of, activities that Obama finds objectionable and so could not be counted on to change those activities as quickly and completely as the President wants? Other than his non-spookyness, Panetta is unassailable. There is the matter of Obama voting for warrantless wiretaps, but I'm going to ignore that at this point. How’s about we give Obama the benefit of the doubt (did I just write that?), to wit: he chooses a proven manager, who is a non-spook, to run the agency because anyone that has been in the agency is invested in, if not the author of, activities that Obama finds objectionable and so could not be counted on to change those activities as quickly and completely as the President wants? Other than his non-spookyness, Panetta is unassailable. There is the matter of Obama voting for warrantless wiretaps, but I’m going to ignore that at this point.

]]> By: Fargus http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610135 Fargus Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:01:01 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610135 The problem was, as Ryan said, anybody who's had anything to do with the CIA for the last 8 years would have been unpalatable to the left, as would anybody who supported warrantless wiretapping, <strike>torture</strike> <em>enhanced interrogation techniques</em>, rendition, etc. Seems that Obama made the choice to go with managerial experience in such a climate, in hopes that such experience would be broadly applicable to many agencies. The judgment may well be wrong, and I won't be there to apologize for it if it is, but Joe Klein has got some 'splainin to do if he wants to back up the "desperation" charge. The problem was, as Ryan said, anybody who’s had anything to do with the CIA for the last 8 years would have been unpalatable to the left, as would anybody who supported warrantless wiretapping, torture enhanced interrogation techniques, rendition, etc. Seems that Obama made the choice to go with managerial experience in such a climate, in hopes that such experience would be broadly applicable to many agencies. The judgment may well be wrong, and I won’t be there to apologize for it if it is, but Joe Klein has got some ’splainin to do if he wants to back up the “desperation” charge.

]]> By: Ryan http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610036 Ryan Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:32:05 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610036 What about Bob Gates?! I agree on the need for a professional spook for the job in the abstract, but the reality is that the CIA has spent the last eight (or so) years operating under a policy of explicitly committing war crimes. So I'm not convinced any of the current pros make a lot of sense. Still... Panetta? WHY?!?! What about Bob Gates?!

I agree on the need for a professional spook for the job in the abstract, but the reality is that the CIA has spent the last eight (or so) years operating under a policy of explicitly committing war crimes. So I’m not convinced any of the current pros make a lot of sense. Still… Panetta? WHY?!?!

]]> By: Mark http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-610014 Mark Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:04:59 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-610014 Jane Harman would have been fine with me, though I would prefer someone strong in intelligence but also with SOME executive experience... Jane Harman would have been fine with me, though I would prefer someone strong in intelligence but also with SOME executive experience…

]]> By: Aaron http://informedspeculation.com/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/comment-page-1/#comment-609973 Aaron Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:31:38 +0000 http://decision08.net/2009/01/05/out-with-the-bad-in-with-theworse/#comment-609973 Just thinking: wouldn't Jane Harman have fit the bill? I mean, it's not as if she was in the CIA over the last 8 years, making the leftards happy, and her experience in Congress would give her the qualifications. She <i>did</i> support the warrantless wiretapping program, but I seem to recall that someone else already slated to be in Obama's cabinet voted for that as well. Just thinking: wouldn’t Jane Harman have fit the bill?

I mean, it’s not as if she was in the CIA over the last 8 years, making the leftards happy, and her experience in Congress would give her the qualifications.

She did support the warrantless wiretapping program, but I seem to recall that someone else already slated to be in Obama’s cabinet voted for that as well.

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