Cenk: Richard Clarke for CIA Director? Or Should We Just Go With Someone Who Supports Torture...

[ihavenobias]

Richard Clarke for CIA Director
By Cenk Uygur

What's more than a little infuriating about Washington is that being right is never rewarded. If you're a pundit who was wrong on the Iraq War, you will always have a seat at the table. God forbid you were right about not going into Iraq, well then you are a fringe player who can't be trusted to be mainstream.

That might seem like an exaggeration to some, but is it? Who was right on the Iraq War and has been rewarded for their prescience in the pundit class? Among the DC media establishment, who has been punished for getting Iraq wrong?

How about getting the intelligence wrong or right? The conventional wisdom is that everyone got the intelligence on Iraq wrong before the war. But that's not true at all. Scott Ritter didn't have it wrong. Hans Blix didn't have it wrong. And Richard Clarke didn't have it wrong. In fact, Richard Clarke had .

So, why is John Brennan, who worked with Dick Cheney over at the CIA in contention for running the CIA but Richard Clarke isn't? Brennan went along with torture (I'm sorry, enhanced interrogations), illegal kidnappings (I'm sorry, extraordinary renditions) and illegal spying (I'm sorry, warrantless wiretapping). For this, Obama is considering rewarding him with the position of Director of the CIA?...

For The rest,

If you want to DIGG this to drum up some interest in the idea, .

Finally, to watch a youtube clip on this topic, .

[OhioChick]

1. Bookmarked for after dinner....

K&R

[20score]

2. Right on Cenk. K&R.

[moondust]

3. Why not?

:kick:

[Wetzelbill]

4. I think so

Clarke has been a logical choice for CIA or Homeland Security and since one is already taken he should get the other.

[ihavenobias]

11. I agree. n/t

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R

[1776Forever]

6. Sounds good! I hope he gets it soon!

:thumbsup:

[bertman]

7. I'm emailing the Obama Transition Team right now to express my outrage at this shit.

So far, I have been patient and mostly forgiving of our President-elect's appointments even though I have not been happy with many of them.

Just the whiff of John Brennan as CIA Director should be enough to turn the stomach of any right-thinking American.

We cannot let the hint that Brennan may be the pick go unchallenged.

[ihavenobias]

17. Excellent idea. A constructive email with a good explanation never hurts. n/t

[bertman]

24. A "good explanation" being: I've been patient and tolerant but now I"m pissed about Brennan

even being considered for the CIA director.

How's that for constructive?

It's hard for me to take a polite tack on something this egregious. There's more talk today of "moving forward" instead of investigations into war crimes and violations of the Constitution. Just disheartening and disgusting.

[Azlady]

8. Just did that myself, I wonder if they are tired of hearing from me! n/t

[Seldona]

9. K&R

Both those articles are great. I would actually feel safer with someone like Clarke at the helm, and he was a Reagan appointee. That is the first time in history that anyone who worked for Reagan would have my vote if I could give it. heh

He really impressed me with his post-9/11 testimony. While everyone else was taking pictures on rubble piles and planning or executing double invasions, Clarke was screaming that we were on the wrong track. No one listened. No one that had power did anyway.

He is smart, and has been in counter-terrorism since the 80's. What more could you ask for?

[ihavenobias]

21. Agreed. n/t

[Gregorian]

10. He's supposedly being eyed for Homeland Security.

I remember his testimony in the 9/11 Commission as being the first hopeful crack of light in the administration. I just read his Wiki page, and never knew he was solely responsible for letting the Bin Ladens fly out of the country. I'm not sure what that ia all about.

I'd like to know who the Obama team picked through. And why they want Brennan. Knowing these things might clarify their decision. I don't see this as a simple one. Clarke is a good man. He has the experience. Although he's not as old as he looks.

I am totally opposed to the thought of having a CIA chief who allowed torture. But even that has it's shades. We've all been through that discussion. But under the circumstances torture was completely wrong.

What other roles does the Obama team have for Clarke? Another question to ask.

I'm afraid I'm not going to have enough knowledge to have even an opinion on this. If it were simple, I'd take Clarke over Brennan. But there might be more to it than a simple answer. There almost always is.

[Captain Hilts]

12. Being an analyst doesn't necessarily make you cut out for Top Cat. nt

[BootinUp]

19. Agreed, I would question if thats the right role

for him. But if he has the necessary qualifications then I would be for it.

[Captain Hilts]

22. He certainly won "I told you so" rights. nt

[Kajsa]

13. Clark would be my pick.

He is the best qualified person for the position.

K & R.

[matthewf]

14. k&r

[ejbr]

15. Not to be the devil's advocate,

as Brennan sounds like all the other pieces of shit that are still working my last fucking nerve (Lieberman, Bachman, Palin, etc.), but didn't Clarke fuck-up 9/11 intelligence? Didn't he keep his mouth shut when it should have been very open?

[beachmom]

16. K & R

[camera obscura]

18. The fact that Clarke **isn't** being mentioned makes me think he might not want it for some reason..

possibly he's ill or just doesn't want to be involved in that capacity again.

[ihavenobias]

26. Hopefully we get more information on this. n/t

[KakistocracyHater]

20. we are seeing the same values that wrecked Olde Europe

& why we had a little something called a revolution, because the idiots were in charge, the stupid-but-"well-bred" bigotry, that insisted on the right people being in charge instead of the truly able to lead. Another definition of leader is one who leads, who knows where to go before MOST others, like Richard Clarke, Scott Ritter, Blix, & the various cia 'spooks' who came out on the op-ed pgs of the WshPst & said LOUDLY BULLSHIT on Iraq being a threat.

[CherylK]

23. K & R!

:thumbsup:

[autorank]

25. You just tell the truth and they think it's Hell.

Enough of this fandango!

[PassingFair]

27. Apparently it IS true...

that no good deed goes unpunished.

I am teaching my children that virtue is its
own reward...because they can CLEARLY see that
it is NOT rewarded by the populace.

[OhioChick]

28. Kick

:kick:

[EFerrari]

29. Psychologists Urge Obama Not To Select John Brennan As CIA Chief

200 psychologists have written President-Elect Obama protesting the possible nomination of John Brennan to be either the national intelligence director or CIA director. Brennan is a 25-year veteran of the CIA and was one of George Tenet’s closest aides. Brennan has publicly supported the CIA’s policies of so-called ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ and extraordinary rendition. In their letter to Obama, the psychologists write: “His appointment would dishearten and alienate those who opposed torture under the Bush Administration.” Brennan served as Obama’s senior adviser on intelligence during the presidential campaign and is leading the review of intelligence agencies for Obama’s transition team.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/25/headlines#4

[ihavenobias]

32. Down Goes Brennan!

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/25/1688701.aspx

A big thanks for Formerica for sending me this link.

[EFerrari]

34. Good. Hopefully, this is Team Obama self correcting quickly.

I'm not very happy Brennan was ever on the team at all though.

[ihavenobias]

36. Well, I'm willing to give a pass.

At least the right thing seems to have been done, for now.

[Occam Bandage]

30. "Who was right on the Iraq War and has been rewarded for their prescience?"

Barack Obama.

[ihavenobias]

39. True. n/t

[navarth]

31. K & R

[formercia]

33. You guys would make lousy interrogators

You're supposed to get useful information out of the subject before you let them have their shoe laces back.

[ihavenobias]

38. Guilty as charged.

:)

[PassingFair]

35. The FIRST people Obama should be looking to place are those that opposed....

the criminal cabal in the first place.

Those who resigned or were tossed out on their
ear for not toeing the vicious line:

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/28817/nick_turse_casualties_of_the_bush_administration

And YES, Richard Clarke is among them.

This is an EARLY list.

Certain Republicans, like James Comey, Jim Jeffords
and Lincoln Chaffee deserve consideration as well.

[Uncle Joe]

37. Richard Clark or Valerie Plame for CIA Director

would be OK with me.

I suppose Clark might be better qualified but Plame would be sweet poetic justice.

[ihavenobias]

41. Well said. n/t

[Anarpeace]

40. Abolish the CIA NT

[ihavenobias]

42. ?

?