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Dead Citizens Society

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Sooner or later Obama was going to throw a bone to his supporters.

Here is David Brooks' take:

JIM LEHRER: And yet no intelligence experience, and he got hit for that.

DAVID BROOKS: Right, he got hit for that. But I don't know Panetta well, but I basically have Mark's take, that having relationships around Washington matters a lot, character matters a lot, and especially having access to the president matters a lot.

When we've had unsuccessful CIA directors, quite often they've had no access to the president, and that's hurt the whole agency. And he will have access, and he will know his way around Washington.

So it's an obvious liability that he doesn't have the intelligence experience, but I think...

JIM LEHRER: But you still think he gets confirmed?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, and I think his character overwhelms that.

#2
Re: "Sooner or later Obama was going to throw a bone to his supporters."
Yes, but how, Carlos? By letting potential bombs (or worse) get thrown in his country?

Since when are intelligence and national security up for grabs in the pecking order of politics as usual? Furthermore I am baffled by Mr. Brooks' attitude on a subject of such import. What difference is it how nice a person Panetta may be or if he'll have Obama "access" 24/7 when clearly he is out of his depth and in no way experienced in intelligence?

I think what disturbs me most about the Brooks "take" is the attitude coming from this piece: a kind of false calm--like sleepwalking. Appointing the head of Central Intelligence is a crucial pick, wouldn't you say? So, why the blasé attitude?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I think his character overwhelms that.

Overwhelms WHAT, the FACT of his "obvious liability" in intelligence experience? I'm surprised at you, Carlos. What do you see in a commentator with an attitude such as this?

Get intelligence wrong and you get dead Americans
-- Ralph Peters

Perhaps Mr. Panetta does not think he or his family (or his colleagues or his President) will be among those dead Americans. And perhaps Mr. Brooks just prefers not to think.