Obama chooses Adm. Blair as new head of national intelligence

[Hope And Change]

Obama chooses Adm. Blair as intel chief: source

Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:47pm EST

By Randall Mikkelsen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama has chosen retired Navy Adm. Dennis Blair as the top U.S. intelligence official and could make an announcement as early as Friday, a source familiar with the nomination said on Thursday.

As director of national intelligence, Blair would oversee the entire U.S. intelligence apparatus and be responsible for delivering Obama's daily intelligence briefing.

"We expect the announcement tomorrow," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Blair, a four-star admiral and former top U.S. military commander in the Pacific region, has for some time been considered the front runner for the intelligence job. Blair's nomination would keep an experienced military leader in the post, and he has a reputation as a smart thinker.

The current director, Michael McConnell, has indicated he would be willing to stay on. But influential Democrats, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, incoming head of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a California Democrat, called for new leadership at the post and the CIA.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4BH66U20081218?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews">Full article here

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. I'm so glad he didn't keep McConnell never liked that guy

Name:Dennis C. Blair

Being considered for: Director of national intelligence

Would bring to the job: Intimate experience with intelligence during a 34-year Navy career. A brainy retired four-star admiral whose jobs included commander of the United States Pacific Command, he is also an Asia expert who is considered adept at running sprawling organizations, seemingly a prerequisite for heading an office that is still grappling with the task of fusing 16 spy agencies.

Is linked to Mr. Obama by: Slim ties.He was an occasional adviser to Mr. Obama in the Senate, but does not have a long relationship with him and was not a close adviser to the campaign. He does, however, have close ties to the Clinton family, and was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford with Bill Clinton.

In his own words: ''The use of large-scale military force in volatile regions of underdeveloped countries is difficult to do right, has major unintended consequences and rarely turns out to be quick, effective, controlled and short lived.'' (Congressional testimony, Nov. 7, 2007)

Used to work as: The Central Intelligence Agency's first associate director of military support, and served a tour on the National Security Council. He was also director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, and commanded the Kitty Hawk Battle Group and the destroyer Cochrane. In civilian life, Mr. Blair was president of the Institute for Defense Analyses, a nonprofit largely financed by the federal government to analyze national security issues for the Pentagon, from 2003 to 2006.

Carries as baggage: Had to step down as president of the Institute for Defense Analyses amid concerns that his positions on several corporate boards constituted a conflict of interest. The Pentagon's inspector general later concluded that he had violated the institute's conflict-of-interest standards by serving on the board of a military contractor working on the Air Force F-22 jet while the institute was evaluating the program for the Pentagon. The inspector general found, however, that Mr. Blair did not influence the organization's analysis of the F-22 program. Another possible hindrance: The selection of a retired admiral to the national intelligence post could fuel worries about the militarization of intelligence.

Is otherwise known for: Being a cerebral and intense workaholic. Yet he also tried to water ski behind a Navy destroyer while commanding the ship in Japan. An avid fisherman who speaks Russian, he was in the same Naval Academy graduating class as Oliver North and Senator Jim Webb of Virginia. He was passed over for chairman of the Joint Chiefs by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who considered him too independent and was wary of his views on engagement in Asia.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE6D6133DF931A15752C1A96E9C8B63&scp=3&sq=Admiral%20Dennis%20Blair&st=cse


Seems to be tied to Kerry, Clinton, Wes Clark.
but still a hawk.

A big negative was his handling of East Timor.

I don't think you're gonna find any angel for the CIA post
but at least he's not a Bush guy.

[karynnj]

4. i'm missing something - how is he tied to either Kerry or Clark

That they were all in the military?

[Thrill]

2. Thats not the CIA director position

thats the head of the DNI. He still has to pick CIA

[Hope And Change]

3. Ok, thanks for pointing that.I changed the headline.