As many on the left wait for news on Hookergate (“Pics Surface of Karl Rove, Ron Silver in Torrid Cocktail Party Embrace”), CBS breaks the story that Goss was forced out as CIA director (which jibes with earlier outlier reports from FOXNews and Macsmind):
The sources tell Axelrod that the White House was unhappy with the lingering tensions between Goss and National Intelligence Director John Negroponte. Goss was miffed at being passed over for the top intelligence job when it was created last year. He no longer briefed the president each morning; Negroponte did.
Inside CIA headquarters, sources say, they couldn’t be happier, reports Axelrod. Goss, a former CIA operative brought in 18 months ago to reform the agency, was disliked intensely.
Quips Allah, “I’ll bet. The leak-plugging bastard!”
Still, were I part of the CIA-NYT branch of government, I wouldn’t get too comfortable just yet. Because as Time is reporting, Goss’ likely replacement will be Lt Gen Michael Hayden, former NSA director and staunch defender of the NSA “domestic wiretap” program.
Should make for an interesting confirmation hearing, with a Russ Feingold/Arlen Specter tag team that is not clearly not averse to distracting the ref while Specter comes off the top rope and brains Hayden with a metal folding chair.
But should Hayden survive the onslaught, he is a good choice, one whom Former Spook points out:
isn’t a CIA veteran, but he was extremely effective as Director of NSA for more than five years. During his tenure at Ft Meade, he reformed and reshaped that agency, clearing out bureaucratic deadwood, and boosting agency morale.
Exciting times ahead…
****
update: The WaPo’s Dana Priest argues that Goss was an incompetent. Which I suspect translates—in laymen’s English—to something along the lines of, “he wasn’t a uniter, and he caused a great deal of discomfort in the CIA establishment. And that just won’t do.”
Jesus. Christ.
(thanks to Allah—who is on this story like Patrick Kennedy on a pitcher of Mimosas)
I’m personally inclined to say we should simply shitcan the whole bunch of them and dissolve CIA. Let the now-unemployed GS types justify their existence by applying for jobs at the new agency.
CIA lost it’s way when Bill Casey died.
Now, that man “ran” a spookshop.
Oh, by the way, CBS saying Goss was “disliked intensly” inside CIA? It is to laugh.
Just how would you expect the kind of bastard who would share office gossip with an outfit like CBS to feel? My guess is that Goss was “disliked intensly” inside CBS too.
“standard” lefty cBS.
“Turn, turn, turn…”
— Turtles
If’n I was a wily old journalist I’d be mighty wary of reporting leaks from now on, regardless of who gets Porter’s investigation files.
SB: voice
So it looks like that the CIA rejoicing at Goss’s resignation won’t last too long if Hayden gets the job.
My suspicion is that Negroponte didn’t think that Goss was cleaning out the CIA as quickly or as thoroughly as he needed to be doing.
-Michael McCullough
Stingray: a blog for salty Christians
It’ll be interesting to see how those within the CIA react to Goss leaving. On past showing, I expect they’ll learn he’s gone in a week or two.
Dana Priest’s piece contains this unfortunate quote:
Wait, so this is why the white house got rid of him?
(thanks to Allahâ€â€who is on this story like Patrick Kennedy on a pitcher of Mimosas)
he doesn’t need the Mimosas BTW…the meds, no ambien, the other one for the tummy? Apparently that one is really great to pop post party right before pillow hits the head…maintains fluids/dehydration and SHOCK Rich People HANGOVER HELPER!
It’s just really great no Duke players were there, cause you know things could gotten ugly…
actus— you’ve already raped me (rick vouches)…did you rape Patrick too?
Paul: Zing!
My suspicion is that Negroponte didn’t think that Goss was cleaning out the CIA as quickly or as thoroughly as he needed to be doing.
This is what I’m starting to get from reading between the lines. Stories from the MSM will confuzzle the situation, because the “senior CIA officials” who write articles in the Washington Post will obviously say “Yes, this means we won. We’re in charge again.” In the hope that, while things are unsettled, saying it will make it so.
Here’s hoping Hayden gets it. He oversaw the NSA surveillance program, which was by all acounts a huge success in stopping terrorism (despite all the left carping), so he should be right guy to take the CIA to the left next level.
What are the accounts? I thought it was secret.
Actus raped me, too. I am getting Major John to set up a class-action suit through Jeff’s account to pursue it further.
– Actus is a Dildo?….I thought he was identified as a Telephine pole? When did that change?
He is a Telephone Pole, a Really Retarded One. That’s why I’m so sore about it.
Ouch, Verc!!!
Hmmm.
I think the Bush administration has largely given up on the CIA and is shifting responsibilities, competent people and funding away from it to Negreponte’s new agency, DNI I think. Effectively this means a slow strangulation sort of death for the CIA and it’s dead wood.
Now Goss might be leaving because he doesn’t want to waste his time overseeing a zombie agency. If the CIA continues to exist but without either funding or taskings then that pretty much is the definition of a zombie agency.
Another point might be that the Bush administration is simply sick and tired of the CIA and it’s goofing around and Goss isn’t cleaning house quickly enough.
It’s probably a combination of all of the above. But I think it’s an indication that the CIA has become largely irrelevant and will soon die in an intelligence reorganization.
Is that an agency, or just a level of bureacracy?
Actus, put down the Astroglide and back slowly away.
I’m not sure I can represent you, Verc, after a joke like that
… I’ll be happy to refer you to a real shark, however, and take my referral cut after the case. Cha – ching!
Hayden ran the NSA, but he’s Negreponte’s second in command right now. If he goes to the CIA it helps the transition of the CIA from dom to sub in the intel world realignment. I think Goss was doing okay on leak plugging, but too much of his time (or his deputies’ time) was spent retaining turf.
Hayden isn’t from the CIA, he has no loyalty to the old way of doing things. He can effectively muzzle that bitch, make her roll over on command, and not even care if she likes it. (Like actus on a “date”.) I still think Goss left over something specific, probably something in the way Negreponte and Bush see the CIA working in the future. Goss is a former agent and operator himself.
– Sort of a case of “Right 5 year plan – wrong 5 year man”
What is this problem people have? Like I get the idea that these anthropomorphisms of agency action are a lot like the new explanation for the goss/negroponte breakup—conveniently told to us at certain times.
I mean, this is the CIA. They overthrow governments. But for now, its like they’re the national science foundation and every wingnut is dr dobson’s creationrama.
God, if only.
So you like the idea of the CIA overthrowing our government, actus?
Sorry, everyone. Follow me out of the quagmire, B Moe.
/engaging actus.
Depends on the government. And on whether they were acting on their own or not.
What part of “our” don’t you understand?
Get back to me when the death squads deploy, or wiretap laws get violated.