BREAKING: Hayden approved...12-3

[Philosoraptor]

Just heard on CNN and it's on their website.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Not unexpected...

:grr:

[katinmn]

33. and he'll easily pass on the Senate floor, too.

[Imagevision]

89. Why isn't the Hayden news piece no-where on the net or TV???

bogus-time?!!!!

[sheelz]

2. 12-3?

:grr: Who voted yes?

[lala_rawraw]

47. I know Rocky and Levine did

they sent out a press update.. am on their list, i responded "fuck you" ... am sure my editor is going to fire me now. oh well, going to nap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nickster]

3. Shocked, shocked I tell ya! n/t

[AX10]

4. Democrats are lose on their own. Forget about Diebold.

[peacetheonlyway]

5. anyone know who the 3 are that voted against?

levin has let me down...

how did the democrats become such asswipes..

maybe we should rename this Democraticunderground (for real democrats but not DINOS)...

i don't know..... it makes me sick to see democrats participate in the dirty work of the republicans....

Carl Levin... you should hang your head today.. you do not deserve your role in Congress anymore...
most of the incumbent democrats will wake up to primary surprises this summer..



and good riddance....

[bdamomma]

21. going along to get along Senator Levin

when is his reelection term up? we need to do some major senate house cleaning to clean out this dead wood. What BS.

[LynneSin]

96. AMEN!!! Let's get rid of democrat senators who voted against the War

Who are pro-choice and anti-environent and have supported the filibusters against activist judges. Because damnit, if they don't agree with me on this one exact issue then they are of no use to me. Clean them all out.

:crazy:

Did you put any thought process to who you're talking about? I would be proud and honored to have a great man like Carl Levin represent me. Perhaps once you've had Rick Santorum as your senator for 8 years (thankfully I've moved) maybe it would put this all into perspective

[SammyWinstonJack]

32. Anthrax mailings?

"how did the democrats become such asswipes.." :shrug: For the record, I don't think our Democratic Leaders are "asswipes", with the exception of Lieberman, that is.

[peacetheonlyway]

39. democratic leaders

a bit of an oxymoron on a day only 3 dissented to putting a military man in charge of a civilian spy organization...
4 dems or more must have voted yes... 15 total members 8 rethugs...

just a small bit of democrat oxymoron wouldn't you say?

where is democratic leadership in finalizing a fascist rule of this no longer democratic country... wouldn't that make them fascist leaders? the asswipes that voted to confirm asswipe hayden?

Bayh , Wyden and Feingold are democratic leaders...they dissented

everyone else on the Sen. Intelligence committee are nazi soldiers ushering in a level of fascism this world has never seen before....

I am shocked to think of the expensive military toys these men have at their power and the psychotic self righteousness with which they 'believe in' their cause....

[LynneSin]

93. Why would you be upset with Levin

If this guy didn't pass then another guy just like him was going to pass. This is the Bush administration and we are in the minority. We have better things to waste our time fighting for than this nomination.

The most I bothered was to read some recaps at the end of the night about the process but even I didn't bother to write Joe Biden to not support the nomination and if he did support it I wouldn't be upset one bit. This isn't an activist judge, this is just another Bush lackey replacing the prior bush lackey where we'll pretty much get the same shit we have been getting the last 5 years.

[LynneSin]

94. dupe

dupe

[LynneSin]

95. dupe

dupe

[Ksec]

6. Rummy now controls the CIA

[NJ_Lib]

7. What... Who was it that voted "Yes"...? I'm gonna...

... be sick... :puke:

[deutsey]

8. Now that's a huge surprise.

:sarcasm:

[peacetalksforall]

9. Subject to a real good defense of their votes, I wish to pre=express my

lack of confidence in our leaders. I say - replace them by earnest and honest people. Totally disgusted.

[magellan]

10. Names, we need names

Just so we know who reaffirmed themsevles as traitors to this country by voting yea.

[Disturbed]

13. This means that those who voted yes

don't care if Hayden violated the FISA Law around 30 times. The CIA will be purged of all non RW members and the CIA will support the Bush Regime policies.

[sheelz]

62. The traitors are...

Barbara Mikulski, John D. Rockefeller, Dianne Feinstein and Carl Levin. :grr:

[LynneSin]

97. We don't need shit - this was NOT an important vote

Even I didn't even care. Hell we have posters who want to ousted Levin even though he's been one of the most progressive liberals in the senate voting against the war resolution and protecting our environment and a woman's right to choose.

We need to get our heads out of our collective asses and take a look the impact of this vote - NONE! If some miracle we would have kept Hayden from getting the nomination then Bush would have picked another patsy just like him. We should be more worried about why the FCC won't investigate the phone companies violations into our security instead of this wimp getting a position that pretty much would have been a done deal even if all democrats would get on board.

We have bigger fish to fry than this one

[magellan]

98. Disagree

Every vote is important, otherwise there wouldn't be a vote in the first place. Four Dems telegraphed their position on NSA spying and Hayden's involvement by voting yea yesterday. How do we get them to even begin to pressure the FCC to investigate if they won't even put their foot down against the man who oversees the crime?

Tacit approval is what it adds up to. I am not okay with it. And while I don't see it as important as other matters, it is still of import when it comes time to decide who best stood up for our rights.

[LynneSin]

100. Hayden was not the arena for the pressure

If anything it would have been time wasted indirectly resolving this issue instead of just going straight forward direct asking the questions. And if you or anyone things that we should get rid of anti-war, pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-labor senators based on this vote - well I feel sorry for the future of our party

[magellan]

101. Where did I say that?

I called them traitors, and said that how they voted should matter when it comes time for us to vote -- just as everything our public servants do or don't do on this country's behalf should matter. But nowhere did I suggest that we should get active and oust these Senators! Geez.

If you don't think it's important to know how our elected officials voted re Hayden, fine. But at least have the decency not to launch into hysterical hyperbole when others ask.

[bdamomma]

11. negroponte got his wish

well guys, all this fascism is happening right before our eyes.

[sheelz]

34. Remember who voted for Negroponte

Flash back to the Senate Negroponte vote: 98-2 :mad:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1412383

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00107

[peacetheonlyway]

12. this seems like a final straw for me..

is it me, or do you guys get that feeling of
well, the last org. that could protect us has been assumed by the Pentagon borg..

this is becoming a very scary place to live...

can someone please inform us when it's time to leave with our lives intact?

[bdamomma]

24. not to be cruel or rude

but did the Nazis tell their population to leave?????

[peacetheonlyway]

35. no they didn't...

but I"m thinking those of us in the activist community might want to setup
a very strong safety net to watch each other..

and at the first sign of trouble to any of us...put out the word to the rest of us...

learning so to speak from the nazi chapter of history....

[adigal]

60. I said this on another thread

This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder if I should fill out that Canadian immigration form. You are all 100% right. How will having the Dems in power be any different if they vote for a fascist like Hayden??? There are a FEW Dems who care about the rule of law and our Constitution, but they are few and far between.

When the Dems are in power, they will be all concerned about holding onto their power and making their corporate masters happy still, so I don't think there will be any difference - and that the Dems rolled over on this nominee, which was Bush sticking his finger in their eyes, shows Bush he can do almost anything he wants with no pushback at all.

I wonder what Dems will stand up for us if they decide to send us to those nice new detention centers Halliburton is building??? I bet about two of them.

[Roland99]

14. A victory for freedom and democracy! Now we can really nail terrorists!

:sarcasm:

[peacetheonlyway]

15. people like hayden don't really understand the terrorists

if hayden had any idea of what world he now lives in..

he would never have had his wife and daugther stand up at the confirmation hearing..


in some ways, perhaps, he will deserve the role he has to play as chief hatchet man for the most corrupt government on earth.....

and that annoying bunny twitch nose.. it makes me even more nervous about his psychotic tendencies.... he'd make a great extra in a horror movie.....

[flpoljunkie]

16. Russ Feingold voted NO and issued this statement.

http://www.feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/statements/06/05/20060523.html

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
On Opposing the Nomination of General Michael Hayden to be the Next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

May 23, 2006

I voted against the nomination of General Michael Hayden to be Director of the CIA because I am not convinced that the nominee respects the rule of law and Congress’s oversight responsibilities. General Hayden is highly experienced and talented. But, as Director of the NSA, General Hayden directed an illegal program that put Americans on American soil under surveillance without the legally required approval of a judge. Having finally been briefed about this program last week, I am more convinced than ever that it is illegal. Our country needs a CIA Director who is committed to fighting terrorism aggressively without breaking the law or infringing on the rights of Americans. General Hayden’s role in implementing and publicly defending the warrantless surveillance program does not give me confidence that he is capable of fulfilling this important responsibility.

General Hayden failed in his testimony to express any reservations about this Administration’s lack of respect for the rule of law. Rather than committing to follow legally binding restrictions on the authorities of the CIA, such as those prohibiting the CIA from engaging in domestic security, he spoke about presidential authority and consultations with government lawyers. Given that Administration lawyers continue to assert presidential authority to override the law, General Hayden’s answers were less than reassuring.

General Hayden’s conduct and testimony also raise serious questions about his willingness to respect congressional oversight. He was complicit in the Administration’s failure to inform the full congressional intelligence committees about the warrantless surveillance program, even though this notification is required by law. In his testimony, he repeatedly failed to explain or criticize the Administration’s failure to inform the full committees about the program. And he declined to commit to notifying the full committees about all intelligence activities, as is required by law.

Finally, I remain concerned about previous misleading testimony by General Hayden regarding warrantless surveillance and his explanation for that testimony. In 2002, he told a joint congressional committee that, under FISA, persons inside the United States "would have protections as what the law defines as a U.S. person and I would have no authorities to pursue it." In fact, the President had already authorized the NSA to bypass those legal protections. General Hayden’s explanation for this statement, that he was speaking in open session at the time and had earlier given a fuller briefing to the committee in closed session, does not justify a public misleading statement.

The stakes are high. Al Qaeda and its affiliates seek to destroy us. We must fight back and we must join this fight together, as a nation. But when Administration officials ignore the law and ignore the other branches of government, it distracts us from fighting our enemies. I am disappointed that the President decided to make such a controversial nomination at this time. While I defer to Presidents in considering nominations to positions in the executive branch, I cannot vote for a nominee whose conduct raises such troubling questions about his adherence to the rule of law.

[Bluebear]

17. Oh do I want him on the ticket in '08. nt

[peacetheonlyway]

36. That's It... Russ Feingold is my Choice for President

he's earned it...

taking on the CIA chief that most the trench CIA career veterans hate... that will earn him big brownie points later when he'll need it..

good going Russ.... you are my man! when can I have a house party for your Mr. Feingold/Mr. Future President?

[magellan]

18. Thank the goddess for Feingold

If Gore doesn't run in '08, Feingold gets my vote. Period.

[dogday]

22. That's my man

I just love this man.. and he just loves the constitution :loveya:

[BREMPRO]

23. A rare voice of reason, good judgment, truth and integrity-

actually representing the people he serves!

GORE/FEINGOLD !08!

[Le Taz Hot]

26. THIS is why I love this man!

What a tragedy he'll never see the White House -- he would be one of the great ones.

[adriennui]

43. i agree, russ feingold is the best

and he has all the makings of a statesman, someone who we could be proud of who has wisdom and integrity.

[bdamomma]

28. Feingold is such a good person, and will not be snowed by

these fascists. Damn, a military man (Hayden) in charge of CIA, just sickening.

[sheelz]

41. Sigh...

Feingold voted yea for his (Hayden) future boss--Negroponte.

[Raksha]

50. THANK YOU Russ Feingold!!!

Sheesh, a Democrat with balls...a member of an endangered species!!!

[Rainscents]

19. This is disgusting!

I can't believe these fuckers really believes in spying on people is ok!

[bdamomma]

29. very sad, the Constitution and our Bill of Rights mean nothing

to these people, and to those people who keep on saying, "I am not doing anything wrong" will you open your door when they want to search your house without a warrant, they will be the first to cry out "what about my Constitional rights" yea, kiss it goodbye or fight back.

[Triana]

20. Democrats....

...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

48. A perfect discription. All too apt.

[Canuckistanian]

58. That'll have to be altered for Levin

But otherwise, it's perfect!

[AngryOldDem]

25. Why does everyone make a fuss..

...about how unqualified these Bush nominees are, and then roll over and confirm them without as much as a whimper?

Getting sick of this shit.

[insane_cratic_gal]

31. NM the fact that a Military General should NEVER be head of the CIA

CIA being a civilian operation, the DIA and the CIA need to be separate, all they are doing now is cementing them together. It's wrong on so many different levels.

[Bucky]

42. Four generals have headed theCIA. 1st civilian head was a GOP fuck up.

The best CIA chief we've ever had, in my opinion, was an active duty admiral when he took office. Being military is not the point. You should judge the man, not the suit. This man sucks, but we shouldn't judge all military officers as unfit--particularly for a job that was originally designed to be filled by a military man.

[insane_cratic_gal]

84. A Military General hasn't held that post since 1953

The CIA has had few Admirals,(there has only ever been 4 ADM and 2 Generals) the first 4 were in the infancy of the CIA, we've learned a lot since then. But the last acting director that was an ADM was in 1980. There was a 20 yr gap between them too.

We are in a crucial time when the Military (who tends to serve the president NOT the people of the US) is quickly power grabbing for CIA. Goss was a perfect example, now more then ever is the time to not allow a Military Yes'em to lead the CIA when illegal activity is being forced upon the CIA by these thugs.

This coming from me, a military wife, but tar me and call me chicken I still think it's a lousy idea all around. Promote from within the CIA there is no reason not to, other then the Current Regime of Nazis want their thumb over the CIA.

[flpoljunkie]

27. Other Senators voting NO were Ron Wyden and surprisingly, Evan Bayh.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/wire-hayden.html?ei=5094&en=1b9c8ac0bd635c80&hp=&ex=1148443200&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

May 23, 2006
Senate Panel Backs Hayden as C.I.A. Chief

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gen. Michael Hayden moved a step closer Tuesday to becoming the nation's 20th CIA chief, where he will take over a spy agency looking for a leader to steer it through troubles ranging from al-Qaida threats to Washington politics.

The Senate Intelligence Committee recommended confirmation, 12-3, with three of the panel's seven Democrats voting against him. If the Senate approves him before Memorial Day, as expected, Hayden could be sworn in by the end of the week.

"We think he is an outstanding choice to head the CIA," committee chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said after the vote. "He is a proven leader and a supremely qualified intelligence professional."

<>Sen. Russ Feingold, who voted against Hayden, has deemed it illegal. "No one is above the law," Feingold, D-Wis., an intelligence committee member, told Hayden at his confirmation hearing last week.

Also voting against his confirmation were Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Evan Bayh of Indiana.

[Neecy]

49. That means Feinstein voted to confirm...

War-profiteering traitor! God, I am SO sick of her.

[peacetheonlyway]

52. FEINSTEIN you traitor

you traitor
Feinstein you traitor
Feinstein you traitor

when he didn't even answer your questions and made a fool of you on Televised hearings..

you still vote for the man....

you are now qualified for the Democratic ASSWIPE club.....

other than your family being held hostage (which you can expect from this kind of guy Hayden), you have no excuse for voting to confirm...

[Pachamama]

73. I've got my Absentee Ballot here for the June 6th election:

1) Dianne Feinstein
2) Martin Luther Church
3) Colleen Fernald
4) Write-in

I'm going to find out a bit more about the #2 and #3 candidates...and then think about someone for a Write-in...

Dianne Feinstein will not ever get another vote from me....ever....I realize that means in the fall that there may be a Republican Senator from CA, but I will absolutely not ever give her my support...period.

:grr:

[peacetheonlyway]

77. good going!

the problem with a 2 party system, you feel if you don't vote for the incumbent, you pretty much give the vote to a republican..

we need real choices for our candidates now!!!

[Pachamama]

86. Actually, since posting this, I did research on the "options" and one of

challengers, Colleen Fernald, is actually a really great candidate. She is a Mother, a progressive democrat and she is very active in ecological and sustainability projects. She is against the war in Iraq and has an actual 'plan' for immediate cease fire if you will and a pull-out from Iraq.

I'm voting for her and also just sent her some money. The idea of simply voting for DIFI after this vote would feel beyond "wrong" for me..... Better to vote for a candidate with real values and a plan than a war profiteer and DINO like Dianne Feinstein "just because".

Yes, we need "real choices" and today's actions by Dianne Feinstein and other Dems and Repukes that voted for Michael Hayden should be the wake up and "call to action" for us all. We should all be going to the voting polls and really thinking about "why am I voting for this person?" :eyes:

[katinmn]

91. She has over $7 million left to spend on her re-election

http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?cycle=2006&id=CAS2

Too bad the primary is June 6. Hasn't left much time for Colleen Fernald, the progressive Dem, to get her message out.

[Bluebear]

53. BIG surprise!

:sarcasm:

[stop the bleeding]

30. bend over and grab ankles people n/t

[SeattleRob]

37. WE ARE F*CKED!

When is it that we will actually have a freaking opposition party???!!!!

[LittleClarkie]

38. Still has to go to the whole Senate doesn't it?

Not done yet.

[Bucky]

44. If four of seven Democrats approve Hayden, that's plenty of cover

We need to turn the heat up on this one. We're going into an uphill fight to oppose Hayden, apparently. I suggest we start phoning immediately, because the current trajectory here is that Hayden is gonna be approved by a 30+ vote margin.

[sheelz]

55. Good luck...

We tried that for Negroponte, the Death Squad Protector, and we got a vote of 98-2. We need a new strategy--Now!

[Bucky]

70. Sorry but in a democracy lobbying your representative is the ONLY strategy

until there are new elections that is.

[sheelz]

83. They should walk out

and shut the down the senate. They stop voting and make a stand!

[flpoljunkie]

46. Yes, but no one expects Hayden not to be confirmed, as R's have 55 votes.

[Dr Fate]

65. Yes- the 6 year long rope-a-dope strategy is playing out nicely.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[LittleClarkie]

68. No, I mean just because he came out of committee

doesn't mean he'll be approved. I never understand this early angst when it comes before the Senate vote. How often does a nominee not even make it out of committee?

[Dr Fate]

79. I doubt it. They will want to keep their powder dry again.

Positive thinking only seems to get us so far with these spineless eunuchs- I'm sorry but I'm livid. I predeict that this is the Alito thing all over again.

[maxsolomon]

40. things are more like they are now than ever before

is it that they can't imagine saying no to *?

anthrax sounds like a contributory cause.

[lala_rawraw]

45. treason... i rest my

fucking case... sorry for the anger, but these guys want to arrest journalists, this guy is helping them spy on journalists, and dems say no problem? blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:(

[peacetheonlyway]

51. be careful yourself lala

some of us live for your reports....

the arresting won't stop at journalists.. I assure you of that....

[lala_rawraw]

54. i know... trust me when i tell you

that the two ABC reporters are not alone, there are two more that I know of and there is some odd phone stuff going on at my house... someone i know and have used for pieces has suggested that I get a professional to come in and sweep the place... i am thinking on one hand that is too much like X files, on the other, I cannot get anyone to explain to me what has been happening with my phone... very odd shit. i actually went as far as an estimate but lord, like 2k for a basic without radio frequencies. let's hope they don't really notice me much. in any case, i just told Rocky's press person to fuck off..oops
:pals:

[peacetheonlyway]

57. not that hard..

i'm a telco person..

get a friend you know to buy a phone for you in their name...
get a tmobile-prepaid if that's not too much of a pain..... Germany backed so no inherent stake in cooperating with US bullshit and a very innovative company.

call them up and immediately ask to make your line PRIVATE meaning your caller ID will not show to people you call and start using that. and also no listing as well.. for the important calls, make a habit of going to your neighborhood (change it up) friendly public telephones or even consider creating a free or cheap voip account with someone else's credit card and then use that in internet cafes on strange computers.. never from your own computer where they can track back to your IP address....

sounds like a rough life just to do a job for which you are not even getting paid....

and if all that doesn't work I have a cellphone with tons of free minutes I can ship to you immeditely as a kind of backup phone when you need super secrecy..404 area code. but free roaming/national minutes...just say the word miss lalala.... you earned it!

I don't care f the CIA knocks on my door one day....... I already pissed off Hayden when I called into Cspan and said his body language was consistent with a very scary person....I"m now in full resistance mode...

maybe someone could write an article on 'getting off the grid' of this new fascist police state.....

[lala_rawraw]

66. i PMed you about what is happening with my line

if you think it odd, let me know what you make of it...i am freaked and have been since this started:(

[The Witch]

56. Nos were Wyden, Feingold and (whoa) Bayh!

:wow:

off to see my sister's six-hour-old baby now :bounce:

[peacetheonlyway]

59. DICTATORS TODAY: Ad - "Seeking Capable CIA Operative"

Dictators Today
"The Journal for the more discriminating Fascist Dictators"

AD SECTION:
5/23/06
"Seeking Capable CIA Operative. Need immediate action. Must tap phones of
top level NSA operative who taps phones of US citizens without warrants.
Publish NSA Operatives phone calls and content online so he can experience
the privacy violations he himself perpetuates. Enquire quickly within,
before it's too late for your own organization...."

It helps to use a little peaceful dissent to wake these people up to their own bullshit.

[Justice Is Comin]

67. All we need to do is

bring Kruschev back to life, give him an office in the White House, put Nazi hats and mustache on Hayden and the CockSucker-In-Chief, and take a group photograph.

The circle is complete.

[Warren Stupidity]

92. Kruschev was a reformer and not that bad a guy.

He broke the Stalinist system permanently. He didn't last very long either. Beria is the guy they should give a back room office to in the white house. He knew how to handle dissent.

But I digress. Here is why I am fucking despondent over this crap. Suppose that despite the fraud and media bullshit we actually win the 06 midterm election. What are the chances that the War Party coalition will retain its majority in both houses? I'd say pretty damn good. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

[longship]

61. Dem votes here.

Bayh, Feingold, and Wyden all voted "NO".

The rest of the Dems on the committee voted "YES".
Feinstein, Levin, Mikulski, and Rockefeller.

[mom cat]

63. Too bad Cindy Sheehan was muscled out of the race against Feinstein.

[Dr Fate]

64. The Democrats who approved are collaborators and cowards.

We will lose in 2006. I feel it in my bones now.

Perhaps I should get a new "hobby" while there is still only a half dozen eggs on my face.

[Bucky]

69. A little bit over stated

I'm not happy either, but let me suggest saving the hy-sterics for the times we lose ground rather than the times when there's a simple changing of the guard among the unacceptable hacks and petty thugs Bush puts in charge of the government. We didn't actually lose anything here, just failed to embarrass the president at a time when he could've been (and should've been) embarrassed.

And don't despair about November yet, either. I agree the Democrats are a bit lacking in the ol backbone department, but they ain't shat their diapers yet.

[Dr Fate]

78. heard it all before- many times. But thanks for the effort. n/t

n/t

[depakid]

76. I called this shot months ago

with Alito, the budget "compromise" and whatever that was masquerading as a response to the State of the Union.

It sort of set the tone for the year....

[Placebo]

71. Senators Bayh, Feingold and Wyden, a big...

THANK YOU.

[stevedeshazer]

72. Only one Senator voted against both Hayden and Negroponte.

That's MY Senator.

[leftofthedial]

74. Does anyone here still doubt that a significant portion of the DNC

is on "their" side?

[depakid]

75. And the Dems expect to be trusted with leadership?

I certainly don't trust them.

And I can't in good conscience tell ANYONE else to trust the current "leadership" to make principled stands or protect their constituents' interests.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see them lose their 7th straight congressional election in a row, despite the Republican implosion.

In the end, people will choose corruption over cowardice and acquiescence every time.

[Dr Fate]

80. Yeah- but think of all the dry powder they will have stored up for 2012.

It's a long term strategy, dig?

[spanone]

81. President Donald Rumsfeld

:banghead: Now they can fit the intel as much as needed. How convenient.

[iilana X]

82. Bastards!

They said on the news this guy would probably get confirmed because everybody likes him in Washington. That's a real good reason to put him in charge of the CIA. Just what we need a CIA director who wins friends and influences people. He's not up for function director for the White House. Brother. What next? No...on second thought, I don't want to know the answer to that.

[Jack Rabbit]

85. OK, folks. The Democrats didn't protect us today. We're on our own

I'd start making a sarcastic greeting, like "Hi, Mike; how are George and John?" but there would be no point.

We switched to Working Assets.

[Imagevision]

87. where's the link? CNN has nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sheelz]

88. It was a red banner headline hours ago.

They moved it to the politics section:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/23/hayden/index.html

[Clarkie1]

90. Clark on Hayden and Wiretapping: Mostly two separate issues.

ClarkCast 011- NSA Wiretapping and Mike Hayden
May 21, 2006
transcript by Reg NYC

I'd like to bring up Mike Hayden. There's been a lot of discussion over the last few days about Mike Hayden and his appointment to be the Director of the CIA. I know Mike. He was a Two-Star. He was a - I think he was a Two-Star, maybe he was a One-Star getting ready to be a Two-Star - in the European Command. He was the intelligence officer when we were talking about what to do in the Balkans. I was- I talked to Mike several times personally I was with, with him on video teleconferences. I went to the region. I met with his staff. I got- I relied on him for, as a source for information. I found him to be a thoroughly competent intelligence officer. He was smart. He was well informed. He was into the details.

I don't know anything about the secret wiretapping. So, my view of it is that I think Mike Hayden is- he has a broad background. He's perfectly capable of being the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

But, having said that, I think we need a genuine detailed investigation of the NSA wiretapping program. We need an investigation that will lay out these facts in a way that will reassure the American people that our leaders don't violate the law of the land. Americans shouldn't permit a violation by the Executive Branch of the law of the land, because our security ultimately rests on the Constitution.

We took an oath, you know, all of us in- when you reenlist or when you join or when you become an officer, you say, "I'll support and uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic." "Against all enemies foreign and domestic." You're not taking an oath of fealty to the person who's in the office of Commander In Chief. You're taking an oath to support and uphold to Constitution of the United States.

That's the oath Mike Hayden took, and I think he's an honorable guy. I think he probably ran through whatever this wiretapping program is. I think he probably had legal advice that said it was permissible. He probably has a lawyer at NSA who reviews these things. I'm sure that that lawyer's opinion was vetted by, let's see, it would have been John Ashcroft and the Justice Department, and it would have been, let's see, Al Gonzales, the same guy who wrote the torture memo that said it wasn't torture unless you had destroyed a major organ or something like this. These are two men who are not known for their attentiveness to the law of the land.

I think this whole program needs to be unpacked. I think it needs to be unpacked by the United States Congress. And if the United States Congress can't do it in a way that avoids the kind of partisan Republican control, then I guess we need to have a Special Prosecutor or some Special Commission set up. Because I don't think the American people have, can have confidence in a partisan Congressional investigation in which the President's party denies the right to the opposition party to ask questions, call witnesses, subpoena evidence and make conclusions. That's the kind of cover up that's lead us to the position that we're in right now. So, I think the American people are demanding a real investigation of what this NSA program is all about, and I think that's what needs to be done.

As far as Mike Hayden is concerned, I think he needs to take off the uniform. He needs to retire, and he needs to stand on his own two feet. It's no longer enough to be a good soldier. It's no longer enough to salute the Commander In Chief and say, 'Aye, aye sir. We'll do whatever you want.' When you're the Director of Central Intelligence, you've got to move up in terms of who you are and understand the responsibilities you're carrying, and I think it's harder to do that if you're in uniform. So, I think I'd feel more comfortable if Mike, at this point, said he'd had a very successful military career, took off that uniform and became a civilian and understood that it's Mike Hayden - not an Air Force officer, not an Air Force Three-Star or Four-Star - his personal judgment, his integrity, his leadership. That's what's on the line as Director of Central Intelligence Agency. So, I think there are two different matters here, and I'd like to see this Congressional investigation get started in a serious way on the NSA wiretap.

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[Quixote1818]

99. I heard several liberal Dems on Air America say Hayden was fine

For Bush he was one of his better choices. That may not be saying much. I don't know that much about him but I find it interesting that a lot of very liberal people on Air America thought Hayden was fine. I don't know who they were but one was on with Al Franken the other day. He is one of Al's regulars.