Leon E. Panetta to head Central Intelligence Agency, Some Dems not happy

A Clinton retread is one thing, but a Clinton retread with no experience is another.

Via the NYT’s “The Caucus”:

President-elect Barack Obama has selected Leon E. Panetta, the former congressman and White House chief of staff, to take over the Central Intelligence Agency, an organization that Mr. Obama criticized during the campaign for using interrogation methods he decried as torture, Democratic officials said Monday.

Yet the choice encountered early opposition on Capitol Hill, with some senior Democrats questioning why the president-elect would pick a C.I.A. chief without a deep reservoir of intelligence or counterterrorism experience.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat also; is not amused:

“My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein who, as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, would be in charge of Mr. Panetta’s confirmation.

Senator Feinstein said that she had not been notified by Mr. Obama’s transition team about the selection.

Uhm…. Smooth move there Bambi. Good way to start out. Put some inexperienced toad as the leader, to piss off your follow commies. Good one! 🙄

Malkin is equally unimpressed, as is Allahpundit.

Glenn Greenwald is wetting his pants with Glee, as usual.

It’s going to be a very interesting four years.

(Via Memeorandum)