Bush Defers Decision on CIA Chief

[stevedeshazer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56162-2004Jul16.html

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 17, 2004; Page A04

The White House has put off for now a decision on whether to name a new CIA director before the November election, as officials continue to search for a candidate they believe could do the job and survive Senate confirmation during a heated campaign, according to senior administration and congressional officials.

For four weeks, administration officials have said President Bush would come forward with a nominee to succeed George J. Tenet, who left the post last week so the job would not be held by an acting director if terrorists attempt an attack on the U.S. homeland to disrupt the election.

The early White House favorite, Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.), a former CIA case officer who is chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, was expected by administration officials to breeze through confirmation because of his position on Capitol Hill. That view dissolved after senior Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, including the panel's vice chairman, John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), said they considered Goss too partisan.

With the CIA under attack for faulty intelligence on Iraq and lawmakers in both parties pushing for reform of the intelligence community, the Democrats threatened to turn a confirmation hearing for Goss or any other nominee they consider too partisan into a review of the Bush administration's prewar case for ousting Iraq president Saddam Hussein.
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How convenient.

Who is running the CIA now in "wartime"? That "Acting Director" guy?

More evidence of the implosion of the Bush* administration.

[Tellurian]

1. JMJ, finally, J Rockefeller is standing up to Poppy!

Do the right thing, Jay..

[Tellurian]

2. Believe it or not, this is good news..nt

and :kick:

[VolcanoJen]

3. Well, so much for an imminent terrorist threat, then.

If the Bush Cabal were as certain of an imminent attack as Ridge asserts, they'd do everything they can to get a CIA nominee up to the Hill.

If he wasn't confirmed, and a terror attack occurred, they'd be able to blame it on the Democrats.

There's something about this bit of news that actually makes me feel safer. :D