Senate confirms Petraeus as CIA director

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Washington Post

The Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed Gen. David H. Petraeus to be the next director of the CIA, putting one of the most decorated soldiers in the U.S. military at the helm of the nation’s preeminent intelligence agency.

Petraeus, currently top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, is expected to assume the new post in September.

On the Senate floor Thursday, lawmakers lavished praise on Petraeus, describing him as a brilliant tactician whose leadership helped turn the tide against insurgents in Iraq and has helped U.S. and allied forces make considerable gains in Afghanistan.

“At the CIA, he’ll have a chance to take the fight to the enemy in a different way,” said Sen. Lindsay O. Graham (R-S.C.), noting that U.S. intelligence in Afghanistan will play an increasingly important role there as U.S. troops are withdrawn.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/senate-confirms-petraeus-as-cia-director/2011/06/30/AGMHTPsH_blog.html

[leveymg]

1. Reminds me of the line in Star Wars 3, "So, this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."

[Blue_Tires]

2. I suspect he and the missus will celebrate tonight with whips, chains and wooden planks

[msongs]

3. he must know what skeletons are in the closet. hmm nt

[BeFree]

13. Yep. He knows where bodies are buried

And he knows how to get the most $$ from the government.

In his tenure the Govt. has blown trillions of dollars and made the rich richer.

We are so screwed. Oh well, nukes will save us!!

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Change we can count on?

Bush's pet general...

[Doctor_J]

5. Maybe he can outdo "Operation Trillion Dollar Clusterfuck",

the crown jewel in his resume.

[EFerrari]

6. A marriage made in the Beltway. n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. You would prefer someone with less experience?

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[No Elephants]

11. Petraeus has a lot of experience with intelligence gathering, spies, et c., does he?

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. As a high-ranking commander of military forces engaged in combat, it is likely that

he has much experience overseeing those who gather and analyze intelligence.

[Solly Mack]

8. Blech

[lunatica]

9. Does this make the CIA a branch of the military or vise versa?

[No Elephants]

12. As someone I love pointed out (without the least bit of sarcasm), "Now that our strategy in the WOT

has switched from bombing countries to assassinations by Navy seals, putting a military man in charge of the CIA makes perfect sense."

Take about a Hobson's choice: bombing countries vs. assassinations. Then again, we don't really choose, do we. When it comes to bombing countries, assassinations, torture, spying on citizens and the like, the U.S. seems to be a highly dept multi-tasker.

When it comes to doing that stuff AND taking care of human beings, infrastucture, etc., is where the multitasking seems to break down.

[newspeak]

15. I remember when little boots cleaned the house in the

CIA and the military. Remember those officers who didn't go with his war party plan? What is wrong with appointing someone with more honesty and integrity who were banished from little boot's regime? I'd trust one of those officers or CIA (refuse loyalty oath) agents over the same little boot's retreads.

Why isn't this WH recruiting those who were let go for actually having intelligence, integrity. I don't understand why Obama didn't clean house after winning unanimously for change. That's what I thought he would do. Sadly, I was wrong.