Obama's nomination woes continue

[Zkribbler]

Alas! Obama has career employees carrying out functions which are usually filled by political appointees.

Flee to the mountain tops! We are all doomed!!

[Theben]

Now you know where the $100 million Obama saved came from.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Now you know where the $100 million Obama saved came from.

Need to redistribute that $100 mil to the Czars and Czarinas.

Who needs cabinet positions when you have czars. And who said Obama was a commie?

List of Obama’s Czars (to date)

1. Border Czar — Alan Bersin
2. Energy czar — Carol Browner
3. Urban Czar — Adolfo Carrion
4. InfoTech/Information Czar — Vivek Kundra
5. Faith-Based Czar — Joshua DuBois
6. Health Reform Czar — Nancy-Ann DeParle
7. Stimulus Accountability Czar — Earl Devaney
8. Regulatory Czar — Cass Sunstein
9. Drug czar — Gil Kerlikowske (C)
10. Guantanamo Closure Czar — Daniel Fried
11. Salary/Pay/Compensation Czar — Kenneth Feinberg
12. Non-Proliferation/WMD Czar — Gary Samore
13. Terrorism Czar — John Brennan
14. New TARP Czar — Herb Allison (C)
15. Cyber Security Czar — OPEN (Click HERE to apply for job)
16. Technology Czar – Aneesh Chopra (C)
17. Car Czar — Ed Montgomery
18. Economic Czar — Paul Volcker
19. Great Lakes Czar – Cameron Davis
20. Intelligence Czar – Dennis Blair (C)
21. Weather/Science Czar — John Holdren (C)
22. Green Jobs Czar — Van Jones
23. AIDS Czar —Jeffery Crowley
24. California Water Czar - David Hayes (C)
25. Domestic Violence Czar – Lynn Rosenthal
26. TARP Oversight Czar – Elizabeth Warren
27. Weapons Czar – Ashton Carter (C)
28. Copyright Czar – OPEN (Click HERE to apply for job)
29. Mideast Peace Czar – George Mitchell
30. Af-Pak Czar– Richard Holbrooke
31. Sudan Czar – J. Scott Gration
32. Southwest Asia Czar – Dennis Ross
33. Climate Czar – Todd Stern
34. Eurasian Energy Cxar – Richard Morningstar

(C) – Senate Confirmed Czars

When Ronald Regan was president, he appointed 3 Czars, over 8 years. George W. Bush appointed 14 in 8 years. In his first one-half year, Obama has appointed 34 Czars. At this rate, we can anticipate 272 Czars in Obama’s fist term; and 544 Czars if he lasts two terms.

[KrazyHorse]

Obama's a secret Romanov

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

WhiteHouse could be treading water. May need to look for a new CIA director.

Obama White House v. CIA; Panetta Threatened to Quit
Tensions Lead to CIA Director's "Screaming Match" at the White House
By MATTHEW COLE, RICHARD ESPOSITO and BRIAN ROSS
August 24, 2009

A "profanity-laced screaming match" at the White House involving CIA Director Leon Panetta, and the expected release today of another damning internal investigation, has administration officials worrying about the direction of its newly-appoint intelligence team, current and former senior intelligence officials tell ABC News.com.

Leon Panetta, director of Central Intelligence Agency, listens at a luncheon at the Pacific Council On International Policy on May 18, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Panetta's speech comes amidst controversy concerning allegations by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the Central Intelligence Agency had misled Congress concerning interrogation tactics used on high-profile terrorists during the Bush-era. Amid reports that Panetta had threatened to quit just seven months after taking over at the spy agency, other insiders tell ABCNews.com that senior White House staff members are already discussing a possible shake-up of top national security officials.

"You can expect a larger than normal turnover in the next year," a senior adviser to Obama on intelligence matters told ABCNews.com.

Since 9/11, the CIA has had five directors or acting directors.

A White House spokesperson, Denis McDonough, said reports that Panetta had threatened to quit and that the White House was seeking a replacement were "inaccurate."

According to intelligence officials, Panetta erupted in a tirade last month during a meeting with a senior White House staff member. Panetta was reportedly upset over plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to open a criminal investigation of allegations that CIA officers broke the law in carrying out certain interrogation techniques that President Obama has termed "torture".

A CIA spokesman quoted Panetta as saying "it is absolutely untrue" that he has any plans to leave the CIA. As to the reported White House tirade, the spokesman said Panetta is known to use "salty language." CIA spokesman George Little said the report was "wrong, inaccurate, bogus and false."

Another source of contention for Panetta was today's public release of an investigation by the CIA inspector general on the first two years of the agency's interrogation and detention program. The report has been delayed by an internal administration debate over how much of the report should be kept secret.

One CIA official said colleagues involved in the interrogation program were preparing for a far-reaching criminal investigation.

In addition to concerns about the CIA's reputation and its legal exposure, other White House insiders say Panetta has been frustrated by what he perceives to be less of a role than he was promised in the administration's intelligence structure. Panetta has reportedly chafed at reporting through the director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, according to the senior adviser who said Blair is equally unhappy with Panetta.

"Leon will be leaving," predicted a former top U.S. intelligence official, citing the conflict with Blair. The former official said Panetta is also "uncomfortable" with some of the operations being carried out by the CIA that he did not know about until he took the job.

Other Candidates for the Job
The New York Times reported Thursday that the CIA had planned to use the private security contractor Blackwater to carry out assassinations of al Qaeda leaders.

Six other current and former senior intelligence officials said they too had been briefed about Panetta's frustrations in the job, including dealing with his former Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives.

One of the officials said the White House had begun informal discussions with candidates who were runners-up to Panetta in the CIA director selection process last year.


One of the candidates reportedly has begun a series of preparatory briefings.

"It would be a shame if such as talented a Washington hand as Panetta were to leave after one year," said Richard Clarke, an ABC News consultant who worked on the national security team for the Clinton and Bush administrations and served as an adviser to President-elect Obama.

"It takes that long for any senior bureaucrat to begin to understand what needs to get done and how to do it, "said Clarke. "The CIA needs some stability."

[DanS]

"It would be a shame if such as talented a Washington hand as Panetta were to leave after one year," said Richard Clarke, an ABC News consultant who worked on the national security team for the Clinton and Bush administrations and served as an adviser to President-elect Obama.

I agree with this. Panetta has quite a bit of heft.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

The following letter was sent to CIA employees. It is likely confirmation that Panetta understands the massive impact to CIA morale and gives credence to the alleged 'profanity laced response' to the WH.

Message from the Director: Release of Material on Past Detention Practices

Today, as part of a number of Freedom of Information Act cases, the government is responding to court orders to release more documents related to the Agency's past detention and interrogation of foreign terrorists. The CIA materials include the 2004 report from our Office of Inspector General and two papers-one from 2004 and the other from 2005-that discuss the value of intelligence acquired from high-level detainees. The complete package is hundreds of pages long. The declassification process, a mandatory part of the proceedings, was conducted in accord with established FOIA guidelines.

This is in many ways an old story. The outlines of prior interrogation practices, and many of the details, are public already. The use of enhanced interrogation techniques, begun when our country was responding to the horrors of September 11th, ended in January. For the CIA now, the challenge is not the battles of yesterday, but those of today and tomorrow. It is there that we must work to enhance the safety of our country. That is the job the American people want us to do, and that is my responsibility as the current Director of the CIA.

My emphasis on the future comes with a clear recognition that our Agency takes seriously proper accountability for the past. As the intelligence service of a democracy, that's an important part of who we are. When it comes to past detention and interrogation practices, here are some facts to bear in mind on that point:

· The CIA itself commissioned the Inspector General's review. The report, prepared five years ago, noted both the effectiveness of the interrogation program and concerns about how it had been run early on. Several Agency components, including the Office of General Counsel and the Directorate of Operations, disagreed with some of the findings and conclusions.

· The CIA referred allegations of abuse to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution. This Agency made no excuses for behavior, however rare, that went beyond the formal guidelines on counterterrorism. The Department of Justice has had the complete IG report since 2004. Its career prosecutors have examined that document-and other incidents from Iraq and Afghanistan-for legal accountability. They worked carefully and thoroughly, sometimes taking years to decide if prosecution was warranted or not. In one case, the Department obtained a criminal conviction of a CIA contractor. In other instances, after Justice chose not to pursue action in court, the Agency took disciplinary steps of its own.

· The CIA provided the complete, unredacted IG report to the Congress. It was made available to the leadership of the Congressional intelligence committees in 2004 and to the full committees in 2006. All of the material in the document has been subject to Congressional oversight and reviewed for legal accountability.

As Director in 2009, my primary interest-when it comes to a program that no longer exists-is to stand up for those officers who did what their country asked and who followed the legal guidance they were given. That is the President's position, too. The CIA was aggressive over the years in seeking new opinions from the Department of Justice as the legal landscape changed. The Agency sought and received multiple written assurances that its methods were lawful. The CIA has a strong record in terms of following legal guidance and informing the Department of Justice of potentially illegal conduct.

I make no judgments on the accuracy of the 2004 IG report or the various views expressed about it. Nor am I eager to enter the debate, already politicized, over the ultimate utility of the Agency's past detention and interrogation effort. But this much is clear: The CIA obtained intelligence from high-value detainees when inside information on al-Qa'ida was in short supply. Whether this was the only way to obtain that information will remain a legitimate area of dispute, with Americans holding a range of views on the methods used. The CIA requested and received legal guidance and referred allegations of abuse to the Department of Justice. President Obama has established new policies for interrogation.

The CIA must also keep its focus on the primary responsibility of protecting the country. America is a nation at war. This Agency plays a decisive role in helping the United States meet the full range of security threats and opportunities overseas. That starts with the continuing fight against al-Qa'ida and its sympathizers. There, alongside all its other contributions, the CIA is helping our government chart a new way forward on interrogation, one in keeping with the President's Executive Order of January 22nd. You, the men and women of this great institution, do the hard work and take the tough risks that intelligence and espionage demand.

I am very proud of what you do, here and abroad, to protect the United States. Your skill, courage, commitment, and focus on mission make the CIA indispensable to the nation. It is a privilege to serve with you.

Leon E. Panetta

[KrazyHorse]

Hey, they were only following orders, right?

[Dinner]

If someone did broke the law then they need to go to jail. It's as simple as that because we are a nation of laws.

[Zkribbler]

If someone did broke the law then they need to go to jail. It's as simple as that because we are a nation of laws.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Did you need to repeat the bad grammar ("did broke"?) as well?

[Drake Tungsten]

I always suspected that Oerdin and Zkrib were the same poster. There simply can't be two people that retarded, even in California.

[Drake Tungsten]

Top Treasury posts stay empty in financial crisis

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner is trying to lead the U.S. economy out of its doldrums with - figuratively - one arm tied behind his back: Almost nine months after the Obama administration took power, more than half of the 33 highest-level Treasury Department posts are still vacant.

Among those nominated by the White House but still awaiting Senate confirmation are the undersecretaries for international and domestic finance and the assistant secretaries who oversee international development, financial markets and tax policy.

The delays are in line with those under other administrations, but with the economy struggling to recover from the deepest downturn since the Great Depression, the demands for sound policy decisions from the Treasury are anything but ordinary.

"It's a major concern," said Norm Ornstein, a congressional analyst with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank. "If we have an international economic crisis ... you don't want to have a thin bench."

The Senate has confirmed 11 of Treasury's highest-level appointees, while five officials appointed during the administration of President George W. Bush have been asked to stay on. But eight nominees are awaiting confirmation hearings before the Senate, and Treasury still must select or formally nominate candidates to nine more top-level positions.

Only the Justice Department has a lower rate of confirmation than the Treasury Department among Cabinet agencies.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/15/geithners-top-posts-stay-empty-in-crisis/

Can't tell if I should blame Obama or the Senate for this, but it's pretty embarrassing either way...

[KrazyHorse]

The delays are in line with those under other administrations

[Drake Tungsten]

You don't think we should expect a little faster staffing of the Treasury Department under the current economic circumstances?