Feinstein says she supports Panetta for CIA

[Pirate Smile]

Source: Associated Press

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says she intends to support President-elect Barack Obama's choice for CIA chief, Leon Panetta.

Feinstein's comments Wednesday came after she had earlier expressed reservations about the choice of Panetta, a former White House chief of staff without a formal background in the intelligence community. Obama had not consulted with Feinstein before making the choice, and subsequently apologized to her for the lapse.

Feinstein says she spoke with Panetta, a fellow Californian, for about 20 minutes on Tuesday evening and came away confident he'd surround himself with good personnel at the agency.



Read more: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/01/feinstein...

[tblue]

1. Good. Now when can we replace her?

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. She is up for reelection in 2012

[tblue]

7. I voted for her opponent in the last primary she was in.

She's tough to beat, for some reason.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. She is tough to beat because CA Democrats like her

In November she polled a 70% approval rating among CA Democrats:

http://www.politickerca.com/jeffmitchell/3184/field-pol...

[Kahuna]

2. I will be glad when this woman gets over herself..

[antimatter98]

4. She won't, and you see what Congress is about---ego trumps the nation's needs. n/t

[santamargarita]

5. I don't give a damn if she does or not!

[Jefferson23]

6. Oh goodie, she is OK with it now, BFD Finestein.

[struggle4progress]

9. Feinstein now supports Panetta for CIA director (CNN)

... Just two days after she criticized President-elect Barack Obama's apparent pick to head the agency because Panetta is not an intelligence professional, incoming Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said she will support Panetta because he will "tell truth to power."

In an interview with CNN, Feinstein said she believes Panetta, a former congressman and Clinton White House chief of staff, will "surround himself with very qualified intelligence professionals in the top positions."

She praised Panetta, whom she's known for 20 years, as "smart" and "credible."

"He will, as has been said, tell truth to power. Not what power wants to hear but should hear," Feinstein said. "That's probably the most fundamental part of all of this. That what many of us think happened with the Iraq NIE <National Intelligence Estimate> never happens again" ...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/07/feinstein.panett...