It's Not Nice to Fool Mother Intelligence Committee

Obama picks a long time political activist and another former Clintonista to head the CIA and intelligence committee chairwoman Sen. Dianne Feinstein is less than amused:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who this week begins her tenure as the first female chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said today that she was not consulted on the choice and indicated she might oppose it.

"I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director," Feinstein said. "My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."

The choice of Panetta was seen as a sign that Obama considered it more important to have a steady political hand and astute manager at the helm of the agency, rather than someone with deep operational experience.

As evidenced by his decision to run for president after only two years in the Senate, experience is not a major requirement for Obama. Why should it be for any other position?

The CIA shouldn't be run as a political organization, though it has at times functioned that way as the left-wing holdovers sought to undermine the Bush Administration every chance they got.

Panetta may be a competent manager, but will he have any clue what to do when things are getting ugly? Let's hope he surrounds himself with experienced spooks.