I think it is fair to say that a lot of the higher-echelon government jobs, particularly in the Federal Government, are sui generis. Therefore, it is not necessarily fair to expect the people who fill those jobs to have prior experience that is directly on point. Often, the best candidate for the job might not even have much or any experience that is directly relevant in that field, but we can safely assume that intellectual capacity and general managerial experience will prevent any truly epic screw-ups from occurring.
Apparently, being the Director of the CIA is not one of those jobs.
In case you missed it, Leon Panetta was called before Congress today and asked to explain exactly what in the world is going on over in Egypt. His answer was, essentially, “No worries, Mubarak will be stepping down by the end of the day.” As you may have noticed, that did not happen. This raised the rather obvious question of where the Director of the CIA got this thoroughly erroneous information that he gave to Congress. It turns out, he got it from the same place the rest of us got it: from watching his television.
American officials said Mr. Panetta was basing his statement not on secret intelligence but on media broadcasts, which began circulating before he sat down before the House Intelligence Committee.
Wow.
Well, as Alberto Gonzales can tell you, making a fool out of yourself in front of Congress isn’t necessarily fatal to anything except your political career. However, the next time Leon Panetta is called to give a time-pressured answer about what’s happening in a global hotspot around the country, he might well be advising the President in the context of a split-second decision that could put numerous lives at risk. Let’s hope when that time comes, Mr. Panetta has something on hand besides what he just saw on MSNBC.
Jeff Emanuel
Panetta and Clapper. Talk about Dumb and Dumber. nt
chbroussard (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 12:21AM EDT (link)He's not stupid
voicefromthevoid Friday, February 11th at 5:18AM EDT (link)It’s just his job is to destroy CIA, not to use it. Therefore when called to testify on the matter irrelevant to his job, ofcourse the guy picked first and easiest source available.
Real simple: Panetta is a liberal and a Democrat. They haven't a clue
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 1:06PM EDT (link)how to determine good from evil.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com and Charlotte Observer columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
How to lose YOUR JOB FAST!!!
othugoisaloser1 Friday, February 11th at 12:30AM EDT (link)Pannetta and Cr@PPER are QUICKLY becoming the LAUGHING STOCK of the HILL and are close to being CANNED post HASTE…
If they are still around come CHARLOTTE NC DEM CONVENTION….
You can OFFICIALLY kiss MEXICO BYE BYE!!! And if we lose two conservative SUPREME COURT JUDGES now… I’d say they are now looking at becoming the OFFICIAL FALL GUYS!!!
i know, i know, i know...
drfredc Friday, February 11th at 12:59AM EDT (link)I know a solution to this problem… Cut out the CIA and replace it with a subscription to the NYT delivered to the White House each morning, along with a brand spanking new 62″ plasma with a full time CNN feed… Save billions….
Always, Fred C
Fred C for President
meester Friday, February 11th at 10:08AM EDT (link).
Are you implying that's not...
uselogic Friday, February 11th at 12:41PM EDT (link)this regime’s current foreign intekligence system?
the problem is size
tex41lb Friday, February 11th at 3:38PM EDT (link)They are still using the 55″ plasma model made by GE affiliates in Korea bougnt second hand from Chicago.
And the Muslim HoodBrothers are a non-violent secular party
johnnyd (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 1:11AM EDT (link)We cannot withstand another 2 years of these worthless hacks guarding our country.
We need a grassroots protest of our current admin to force Obama to replace his cabinet. OH WAIT he will just replace them with the non-violent Brothers of his HOOD..
that's not very nice
meester Friday, February 11th at 10:15AM EDT (link)How would you like it if you were a “worthless hack”
After all this administration has done to help people like that and you have to drag their incompetentness out and make fun of them.
Maybe you’re a worthless-hackist.
He must have gotten tweeted by google guys
grandma Friday, February 11th at 1:26AM EDT (link)in Cairo – Google executives, protest leader Wael Ghonim and Director of Google Ideas Jared Cohen.
Here’s the story: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/33186
Being utterly clueless seems to be
Adjoran (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 2:33AM EDT (link)in the job description for most of Obama’s appointments.
Ha! Another meanie!
meester Friday, February 11th at 10:19AM EDT (link)How would you feel if you were an ‘utterly-clueless’?
Hmm?
Meanie.
You’re an utterly-cluelessist!
The Big Mess
csmjimmorrison Friday, February 11th at 5:56AM EDT (link)Every sucker in the administration has totally acted in accordance with the plan; destroy the country. Now I’m not really sure if that is true or not, these people just don’t know any better. Some one that doesn’t know any better usually picks someone that doen’t know any better. That is the case here and everywhere in this government. It’s only a pass to a retirement payment check!
O.J.T.
popster Friday, February 11th at 6:08AM EDT (link)On the job training used to be something that was thought of as part of military training. Today it seems to run as high as the President of the United States and all his/her appointees.
I find it incomprehensible, what has happened to our government in such a short period of time. The CIA might well have to be renamed the CSA, with no reference to the Confederate Army.
WTF Moment
redpenny Friday, February 11th at 6:41AM EDT (link)Geez Louise-the OBOZZO crowd can’t get anything right.The whole bunch are just a bunch of Circus Clowns.
Don’t bother: the moderators tossed me out on my racist posterior already.
CIA head does not know what is going on?
southernpatriots (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 6:45AM EDT (link)Leon Panetta is not stupid, he is just misinformed. He is the head of what is supposed to be the most extensive and greatest spy network in the world, or maybe it now is just a shell of what it once was after the looting by Clinton and now Obama? But what should we expect from one of Obama’s appointees? Maybe his advice to the president will be to try to find Olbermann somewhere on the Gore network and get his information, or read the NYTimes and get his latest update? This is the best way to run a government? Oh, I forgot, temporary blonde moment, this is Obama’s regime! Oh, now it all makes sense!
His job is to be informed
etlib Friday, February 11th at 11:22AM EDT (link)“Leon Panetta is not stupid, he is just misinformed” But his job is specifically to be informed, especially about things happening abroad that might affect the US. If he’s uninformed about this then he must also be stupid.
“No creature without tentacles has ever developed true intelligence”
They are not stupid! Stop this delusion already!
voicefromthevoid Friday, February 11th at 7:07AM EDT (link)If they seem stupid to you that only means that you misunderstand their goals. Guess who is really stupid then? Their goal is to destroy this country, it’s economy, it’s defense – everything to the goal of communist takeover/revolution. Subpart of this goal is to do it in such a way that trained in PC will think that ‘they are stupid’ mind-censoring themselves from the real conclusion that this country is governed by a bunch of america’s enemies.
But ... but ... but ...
etlib Friday, February 11th at 11:24AM EDT (link)I think you give this crowd way too much credit for cleverness. They may have the goals you describe but I think not. they really think they are doing what’s best, not even realizing that it will destroy the country. And they are totally incompetent. Maybe there are other ways to describe this than “stupid” but it works for me.
“No creature without tentacles has ever developed true intelligence”
They are covert and stupid
mine Friday, February 11th at 3:50PM EDT (link)They know exactly what they are doing. They just look stupid trying to hide their radicalism from the American people.
BHO PICKS BEST FOR CIA DIRECTOR
megsmom (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 7:17AM EDT (link)When you consider Leon Panetta experience it makes you wonder what the problem is with CIA.
Mr. Panetta has been on the Agriculture Committee, Budget, Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relation, Nutrition, Personnel and Police, Domestic Hunger, Vietnam Era Veterans, Foreign Language & International Studies.
He is a lawyer, professor, and majored in political science.
Why would you need any experience for director Central Intelligence Agency?
After all they just help keep our country secure and on top of any terror plots.
Just think of it this way our President BHO picked him to help defend our country from terrorist, just like he picked Janet Napolitano for Home Land Security and think of all her qualification.
BHO PICKS BEST FOR CIA DIRECTOR
megsmom (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 7:17AM EDT (link)When you consider Leon Panetta experience it makes you wonder what the problem is with CIA.
Mr. Panetta has been on the Agriculture Committee, Budget, Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relation, Nutrition, Personnel and Police, Domestic Hunger, Vietnam Era Veterans, Foreign Language & International Studies.
He is a lawyer, professor, and majored in political science.
Why would you need any experience for director Central Intelligence Agency?
After all they just help keep our country secure and on top of any terror plots.
Just think of it this way our President BHO picked him to help defend our country from terrorist, just like he picked Janet Napolitano for Home Land Security and think of all her qualification.
Prosecute the agitators
mine Friday, February 11th at 7:43AM EDT (link)Is it against the law for a US citizen to plot to over throw a foreign Government. It is is some countries, which is why Mark Thatcher went to trial. I’d love to see Soros, Code Pink, and the other crazies face charges for their involvement in any insurrection they have participated in.
Many of us saw this coming
jiminga Friday, February 11th at 7:59AM EDT (link)when Obama appointed Panetta, a man with no credentials to hold the position and who has demoralized the CIA by exposing agents to investigating PC non-compliance.
And Clapper? We only wish he would watch MORE TV so he would at lease know something.
WAR VS DOMESTIC CRIME!
tigertooth Friday, February 11th at 8:09AM EDT (link)Our CIA and National Security have become synthesized by the Obama regime’s treatment of The War on Terror as domestic crimes. ICE reports that one (1) of every 15 Illegal Aliens caught at our Southern Border is found to be from the Middle East, mainly Pakistan and Yemen. ICE has further revealed that only 30% of these Illegal Aliens are apprehended. It doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist to see that thousands of Jehadists have safely crossed our borders to find refuge with “So Called”, Moderate Muslims, Imams, and The Muslim Brotherhood.
Recently Bin Laden stated that he would destroy the U.S. with a Thousand Cuts.
Are we seeing the beginning of these thousand cuts with four (4) major petroleum explosions in Houston, two in Ohio, and Pennsylvania in just one week with Five (5) people being killed and several still miissing?
Where is the FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security? These abnormal explosions could be accidents, but they could be done purposely. If they find that these explosions are purposely caused, will they tell us, so Panetta and Clapper Boy might let us know.
B+ keeps showing up...this time for our intel
techsan (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 8:10AM EDT (link)The O admin must use a logarithmic scale. B+ for us mere mortals means, well, almost an A, which to us, is good. On their scale…B+ is halfway down a mine shaft.
From ABC News:
ABC helpfully provided clarification on what Clapper really meant. I’m glad ABC is so helpful to someone in clearing up what they meant to say. I mean, it would be a shame if ABC took Clapper at his word the first time and openly questioned his fit for the job.
In the end, all we have on our side of the debate are facts and history.
And a B+ for him, too
6eorge Jetson (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 8:47AM EDT (link)Click to see full size image
I thank God ...
cam1 Friday, February 11th at 8:50AM EDT (link)that the rank and file on the ground are doing their job for their country. However, it is obvious that penetta and clapper either don’t have a clue on what goes on in the world or their agenda is to ignore the goings on especially if their indifference will harm us.
Can the rank and file do their job?
Uma Richie (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 9:47AM EDT (link)In order for the intel services to provide useful information to decision makers, they need the ability to get that information. I believe that the Obama has made that impossible, with or without competent intelligence leadership.
1. Why would allies, such as Britain and Israel, share information with us? All we do is stab them in the back.
2. Why would a lower level official talk to an overt intelligence collector at the risk of his name showing up on Wikileaks? Bradley Manning would have been executed by now if the administration wanted to show it was serious about protecting our sources.
3. What do we have to offer people who cooperate with us? We are apparently no longer interested in being a world power, and the dollar is being undermined.
4. Are we still seen as “the good guys”? At worst, we used to be perceived as just trying to make as much money for evil Halliburton as possible. Either our democratic ideals or our rational drive for profit could be trusted. Now, not so much.
All the technology in the world will never replace the value of strong relationships and a reliable reputation.
Barry was not pleased with Panetta's
blooch Friday, February 11th at 12:59PM EDT (link)Biden impersonation. But he wasn’t surprised. That’s why he tasked someone else with the stand-by drone strike on Mubarak.
When you can’t count on the dolts around you, it’s nice to have the Predator Posse as backup when change is dragging its heels and making you look bad.
“Lieutenant Dike wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
And the wonderful legacy of Sen. Frank Church..
bobmontgomery (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 9:24AM EDT (link)..continues down through the ages Americans, get a good night’s sleep, just like the CIA! Get up, turn on the tube and you will know absolutely everything you need to know.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
George Washington
Amen
popster Friday, February 11th at 9:55AM EDT (link)and here is a link for those who do not remember the neutering process.
http://hnn.us/articles/380.html
As said during the Plame smear, the CIA is useless.
johnt Friday, February 11th at 11:25AM EDT (link)Their biggest chore is waiting for their lunch hour, actually, the rest of the afternoon, and plotting their retirement.
This would be genuinely scary were it not so predictable, Panetta & Clapper, a pair of fools. Surprise, they get their intelligence from the NY Times.
You may ask what are we paying for, and at what risk, and how many of the lazy & brain dead work at the “super secret CIA?
“a man’s admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him”. Tocqueville
How embarassing for the U.S.
runner12 (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 12:43PM EDT (link)This guy is a joke.
You're right, Runner, and remember back when...
bobmontgomery (Diary) Friday, February 11th at 2:24PM EDT (link)….Panetta was nominated, and some people looked at each other and said “What”? And then people started coming out of the woodwork pointing to Panetta’s good qualities and expertise in this and that. So, ‘in the spirit of bi-partisanship and reaching across the aisle’ many, many Republicans said “Leon is a good man; he’ll do a fine job.”
So, in addition to this deal today, remember how just last year everybody was pooh-poohing N. Korea’s ICBM program? Nothing to worry about. Now just a few weeks ago Gates come out of the blue and says ‘N. Korea is a real threat.
This problem of unprofessional, watered down, diversified foreign service, intelligence and defense programs I’m sure is worse than even some of us
curmudgeons say it is.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
George Washington