Leon Panetta Right Choice for CIA

The selection of Leon Panetta to serve as President-Elect Barack Obama's Director of the Central Intelligence Agency is a remarkably good choice. In December 1976, Panetta and I attended our first orientation session for newly elected members of the freshman class of the 95th Congress. While we did not know each other at the time, over the years we became close colleagues and friends. We worked together on the House Agriculture Committee on agriculture and nutrition issues, and we tackled tough budget matters together. Ironically, Leon and I shared a background in education -- he at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now HHS) working on a major school desegregation case involving my home town of Wichita, Kansas. Later I became a member of Wichita's School Board.

Leon and I also served together in the Clinton Administration. In my role as Secretary of Agriculture I worked with Leon almost every day when he was Chief of Staff to the President. I am personally well aware of his role in managing the chaotic atmosphere of the executive office of the President, which often required his steady hand and warm sense of humor in getting everyone -- from the President on down -- to work collaboratively and according to principles of good management. I know from personal experience that it was not always an easy chore. He accomplished it by being firm and forceful, but always respectful. There is no doubt that Leon was always a natural leader, consensus builder, budget hawk, and all around exceptional public servant with a moderate political perspective. He earned well-deserved respect from both sides of the aisle.

During a portion of my time in Congress I served as a member of the House Intelligence Committee and as its chairman from 1993 to 1995. Over the course of those years I came to respect the highly qualified folks who served worldwide in our intelligence agencies. Their work, which protects American lives on a daily basis, often goes totally unrecognized despite the fact that their duties often involve great personal risk to their safety. In the current environment where fears of terrorism are felt worldwide, those risks have grown.

Having such a close view of the intelligence community convinced me that it could not operate in a vacuum unrestrained from congressional and executive branch oversight. Certainly, the events of recent years have proven this to be true. Leon Panetta is a patriot, a veteran, and a consensus builder. Those qualities alone make him well-equipped to lead the CIA. But, he is also a man with strong views and convictions as to what is right and wrong. In my judgment, Leon Panetta will be one of the most dedicated Central Intelligence Agency directors in its history. He will bring a fresh outside perspective to the job, and he will couple it with respect for the professionals in the intelligence community, particularly the dedicated men and women who risk their lives every day in an unpublicized way for their country. And, he will do it forthrightly and in full respect for the law and the Constitution. I frankly cannot think of a better choice.

Comments

[benzden]

The biggest thing Leon Panetta has going for him is that he IS NOT PART OF THE DYSFUNCTIONAL corportate culture controlling the bad decision making at the CIA and that HE IS ENOUGH OF A Washington insider to not be sandbagged by those who would like to keep things the way they are.

We need intelligence instead of politics from the CIA (and NSA and Justice and ...)

[2008CaliforniaFan]

Of course it is a good choice. as you noted... if you are a Member of the dysfunctional family... You don't even recognize you are PART of the Problem. Panetta can look at the 'problems' with a clear mind. And the people that are there now were kept in their positions.... so the 'no experience' line does not fly. The same people are in place. He is there to tell them.... when they Cross the line.
No more 'rogue Bush philosophy' running amuck! He's there to 'reign them in'.

[kepary]

barney frank perfect candidate to run boys town

[mytwosense]

homosexuality is not the same as pedophilia. if it was a joke, it was a ridiculous one that displays rude thinking. if it was not a joke, and you actually believe what your comment implies, this is the 21st century, so wake up. homosexuality is your sexual identity. pedophilia is a sexual act between an adult and an underage child. just couldn't let your comment go without my own. and no, i'm not gay. i'm jussayin'.

[mytwosense]

Yes, the right pick for the job is on the Left. It just keeps gettin' better and better, doesn't it.

[strangerinthenight]

Wrong choice. Wrong for America. Dangerous for our security.

[Skeptic6]

Very well written Mr. Glickman! Yes, the choice of Panetta is the first choice Obama has made that resembles anything at all like "change we can believe in."

Hoping for the best.....

[michiganfan]

As my previous post was rejected, I will be more diplomatic this time...

An endorsement from the head of the MPAA?!? Was Jack Abramoff unavailable?

[vigilantwarrior]

"I want to splinter the CIA in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds."

- John F. Kennedy

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/head-shot/

[Belisarius]

Quote: "In my judgment, Leon Panetta will be one of the most dedicated Central Intelligence Agency directors in its history. "

I don't believe it. I think Panetta is just a political hack.

But I am willing to give him a chance and I hope he proves me wrong.

[Pulemerci]

I couldn't disagree more. As a former Law Enforcement supervisor, I know that there is the perception that crimes are solved and cases closed all within the constricts of the law all the time. Unfortunately, the way our criminal justice system is set up, that is not always the case. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not talking about framing innocent people or other malfeasance to close a case, I'm talking aboutd doing what needs to be done to convict someopne beyond a reasonable doubt. Minor technicalities can have a case thrown out and criminals can walk free despite the overwhelming evidence of their guilt. The public wants the bad guys put away and the terrorists destroyed. But they don't want to know how it's done. We don't need transparency in the Intel field when it comes to counter terrorism. We have no business even hearing the word waterboarding and secret prisons. If we continue to hamper our own intel and counter terror efforts by constraing them, we will have a mosque in every neighborhood before we know it and that is the truth.

[kittyma]

I like Panetta. I think he is an excellent choice. The people in the intelligence community who think that it should be their exclusive domain and they should have a free hand to continue just as they have been doing will hate Panetta. Therefore, I like Panetta.

[nationalspost]

Why wouldn't the MPAA want a remake of the Clinton administration? Oh and hey! How about a movie version of Seinfeld? Genius.

[CSDofNM]

Lieutenant General Kenneth A. Minihan (born December 23, 1943) is a former director of the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency (retired 1 May 1999).

At least he knows how to produce intelligence and run assets, something Leon has never done.

Leon may be a good man - but is he the best for the job? Our nation is in a crisis where the Chinese and the Russians are getting uppity, and without Global Thermonuclear War there isn't a damn thing we can do about it while Pakistan is going to hell in a handbasket and 30 years of downsizing the HUMINT capability of our country has left us naked and ashamed.

[BottomLine2008]

Get a grip on reality.

[totalliberal]

I hardily disagree. The CIA has always been an organization who's only interest is protecting US corporate interests abroad. They have never been right on anything they do to protect American citizens. Because of them our country is hated throughout the world.

[koolwoman]

Leon Panetta is an excellent choice, partly because he has integrity, and he's smart, he knows the ways of Washington, and he will tell it like it is, direct and to the point. True, he is not part of the cultural establishment (democrats who supported Bush) but I think he is just right for this job. If Diane Feinstein doesn't think he;s a good pick , that further convinces me that he is. Diane voted to seat the current attorney-general. That should explain her lack of judgment. Too bad if Diane doesn't
'like the pick. She is not the person who selects Obamas cabinet.

[newleaf]

I used to live in Wichita, and I respect Dan Glickman. I'm always glad when he posts here. Good luck Mr. Panetta.