Michael Barone

Is Panetta 'an Awful Pick' or Does His Selection Make Sense?

January 7, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Michael Barone, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I wrote yesterday about Barack Obama's surprising choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA. Here are two contrasting opinions on the nomination, both from writers I respect: David Ignatius is pleasantly surprised; Ralph Peters is outraged by "an awful pick." Interestingly, both see Panetta as in some sense a political choice. Ignatius thinks Panetta can advance the agency's case (or the case of its career professionals) politically. Peters says he's an appointee who can convince the left that "intelligence will be emasculated."

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waylanbeck of IN 12:29PM July 05, 2009

I think we have to look at the nomination of Panetta to the head post at the CIA in combination with Obama's choice of Admiral Dennis Blair as the Director of National Intelligence.

Panetta has the management skills and, hopefully, the business savvy, to keep the CIA's information systems and technology upgrades moving in the right direction. I also agree that an outsider is potentially advantageous to ensuring that information is able to reach the highest levels without filter.

At the same time, for those who worry about the emasculation of the Agency, with Admiral Blair at the helm of National Intelligence, you'll have cojones big enough for the entire IC to share.

I would be concerned about the appointments if, say, Blair were nominated for the CIA post and Panetta for the ODNI post. But as it is, I am hopeful that information sharing between agencies will continue to strengthen and modernize, and we will return ourselves to the most efficient and respected IC in the world.

S. Roberts of DC 4:28PM January 15, 2009

The CIA is one of the most important bastions of our homeland security. Why on earth did Obama select someone with absolutely no experience in intelligence work? Is Obama deliberately putting our country at risk? Why?

TOM of NM 4:26PM January 14, 2009

Michael Barone

Michael Barone

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Michael Barone is a senior writer for U.S.News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. He has written for many publications—including the Economist and the New York Times.

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