Is Panetta out?
I first read of the rumor that CIA chief Leon Panetta offered his resignation on Wednesday at Ace of Spades. The White House denies those reports, however. Fox News wrote that ABC News reported a shouting match in the White House;
ABCNews.com on Monday cited reports that Panetta, frustrated by several administration actions and discussions with regard to the CIA, got in a “profanity-laced screaming match” with a senior staff member last month and has also threatened to leave. Panetta reportedly was upset over potential plans to open an investigation into alleged CIA abuse of terror suspects.
Kimberly Strassel at the Wall Street Journal writes this morning that Panetta is the White House’s fall guy for their erratic policy on torture and the CIA agents who followed their orders;
If the latest flap over CIA interrogations shows anything, it’s that Mr. Panetta has officially become the president’s designated fall guy.
The title has been months in the making. Mr. Obama is contending with an angry left that’s riled by his decisions to retain some Bush-era counterterrorism policies. He’s facing Congressional liberals still baying for Bush blood. He’s hired Attorney General Eric Holder, who is giving the term “ideological purity” new meaning. Mr. Obama’s way to appease these bodies? Hang the CIA and Mr. Panetta out to dry.
Actually, it explains Obama’s odd choice of Panetta for the office of CIA Director in the first place. Putting the highly-partisan Eric Holder in the Justice Department and a politician like Panetta at the CIA guaranteed Obama a shot at distracting us from his domestic agenda while the obamistas pursued the Bush Administration’s policies. Who knew that Panetta would take his job seriously?
Yesterday, Ace reported that the Wall Street Journal quoted the CIA’s IG report that Pelosi did indeed know about interrogation techniques that the CIA employed. So I guess the Obama Administration will eventually have to rid themselves of Panetta since they don’t need him to pass their domestic agenda.
In the Washington Post this morning, Obama advisers tell the Post that it’s impossible for the President to move forward without looking backward;
“I think he is determined to make sure we are on the right course going ahead, but you cannot just ignore the past, especially when Congress is doing its inquiries and reviews and we’re going to be facing these issues as a result of court cases, as a result of congressional actions,” [John O. Brennan, an assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism] said. “I think he is making sure that he makes the best decisions, and sometimes you cannot just wipe the slate clean. You have to deal with what the facts are, or you have to actually try to make sure you can ascertain the facts — as opposed to the hyperbole that is out there.”
Yeah, like we able to deal with the facts from the 9-11 Commission in regards to the Clinton legacy as it related to the September 11th attacks. Remember how Jaime Gorelick was able to block an effective examination of those facts?
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War, Usual Suspects
With all due respect, I don’t think Barry has the depth to triangulate this well…this has Rahm’s fingerprints all over it. I’d expect Leon’s exit a week from today, giving the opportunity to let things die down over the Labor Day weekend.
Who knew that Leon was such a stand-up guy? That he would be more then a craven politician, and even though he knows very little about spying, espionage and the CIA, he actually supports the people and agency that he was put in charge of?
Bravo, Mr Panetta! You may get beat up (a lot), and bloodied. But your actions in support of our country’s espionage policies will eventually stand as an indictment AGAINST Pharoh Obama in the annals of history.
I think you’re right, Claymore, Barry O. isn’t smart enough to do this. Rahmbo is the top weasel in doing this type of thing. I’m wondering how many good people at the CIA are going to “head for the hatch” over all this? It will be the late 70’s all over again. Would any of us stay at a place where you’re in the crosshairs because of politics?
Leon Panetta has always been a top notch politician in our area. Being Conservative, I do not agree with most of his political beliefs, but I highly respect him for being honest and willing to explore all possibilities. He has always been a gentleman to his constituants, and is easy to talk to.
Sad, that 0bama would ruin him in this manner. Hopefully, Leon will see the error of his Liberal ways and decide to explore freedom from government instead 🙂
I go with Claymore’s assessment of this cluster. Rahm is distracting everyone, while hoping this focuses the spotlight on the CIA, and away from the daily negative reports and analysis on Obamacare. Fox reported this morning on the Heritage Foundation’s findings on “health care reform” that will cost jobs and wages. Fox also reported that people in the CIA are, indeed, heading “for the hatch”.
The only thing I wish Panetta had done was walk out to the cameras and mics and announced that, because of the witch hunt underway, he’d resigned.
What’s funny is that a quick perusal of the leftie blogs shows the fractured nature of this charlie-foxtrot. They can’t decide if they like the idea of yet another DLC/Clintonista being ousted so they can charge full steam into indictments against Bush operatives or are they witnessing a White House bent on back-room influence peddling on par with what they thought Cheney was doing. In both cases, they exonerate Barry, stating that he’s knee deep in saving the economy and personally delivering crutches to elderly veterans who hate war and are also white but have many black and Hispanic friend…oh did I mention they were also gay? Yes. They’re that too, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I guess, on further thought and reflection, that Mr Panetta puts me in mind of a Democrat of the pre-mid-1980’s. Willing to work FOR THE PEOPLE, not special interest groups, not a socialist/communist agenda. Rather like what I remember of Senator Tip O’Neill (D-MA).