Stupid? Or simply not serious?
The New York Times > Opinion > Sidestepping Reform at the C.I.A.
The Bush nomination of Porter Goss is so grossly stupid it makes me wonder whether the White House really takes the war on terror seriously, or just sees it as a useful political tool.
A big chunk of the problem with the CIA is that it looks political - it doesn't look like an independent agency - it looks like the kind of place that comes up with analysis the president - any president - wants. The most critical thing we need in this agency is someone with political independence and he nominates a person who is seen as extremely political.
Goss certainly has an intelligence background - but doing what? Working for an agency that is seen as a failure at all levels? And then overseeing that agency for seven years in Congress as head of the House Intelligence Committee? Overseeing an agency that - during his watch - gave us our worst intelligence failure in history? Doesn't sound to me like the best man for the job.
The NYT editorial does a good job of picking this piece of election-year stupidity apart.
Posted by Greg Stone at August 11, 2004 04:04 AM