Senators press White House on CIA chief

[JoFerret]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=513&ncid=716&e=3&u=/ap/20040711/ap_on_go_ot/cia_director

WASHINGTON - Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee urged the White House on Sunday to quickly nominate a CIA director, saying the country cannot wait until after the November election given the current terrorist threat.

The CIA's temporary chief, John McLaughlin, is "very skilled" and brings a lot of experience to the job, said the committee chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts.

"But he is an acting director. Yes, I think we ought to have the administration send somebody up. It's going to have to be an extraordinary pick," said Roberts, R-Kan.
....

"You can't wait. You can't take that chance in this country with a terrorist threat before the election," said West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the committee's top Democrat.

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[Cocoa]

1. which senators?

[SpiralHawk]

2. Cowboy Up! Will the next patsie please take the oath

"I swear -- You can bet your pimple-pocked cheneying Bippy I SWEAR -- to serve, to protect, and to defend BushCo from the truth, so help me Skull & Bones, as I proCLAIM my fealty before the All Holey MighTee Sacrilige, ScrewJob, and Marching Octopus Chowder Society, or whatever."

[demgrrrll]

3. Would the person that they nominate have to be interviewed by the

Senate? That might be interesting.

[TahitiNut]

4. Senate 'Advise and Consent' applies to the CIA Director, yes.

Instead of the Judiciary Committee, it'd be the Intelligence Committee.

[acmavm]

5. Strange, I've seen very little intelligence come out of any committee

in Washington lately. Isn't that going to be kind of hard?

[TahitiNut]

8. It's the LCD effect.

(Lowest Common Dimwit) ... or "It's not nice to look smarter than the senior person." It happens in any committee in a highly politicized organization.

(That's why staff does almost all of the work. Some Congresscritters like ass-kissers on their staff. Duncan Sieg Heil Hunter is one. Orin Uriah Heep Hatch is another.)

[quaoar]

6. Bush should pick someone

With bipartisan national security credentials.
Somebody like William Perry.

But he'll probably pick Peter Goss.

[hang a left]

7. This is strange positioning.

I don't know what to make of it yet.

'"You can't wait. You can't take that chance in this country with a terrorist threat before the election," said West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the committee's top Democrat.'

It seems that Mr. Rockefeller is capitalizing on the *admin's current threat assessment. If we are gonna have an attack to influence the election, you better do something about it. It is interesting isn't it? Would love to discuss.