Opposition to Gen. Hayden For CIA Begins Already

I noted yesterday morning that news that Gen. Hayden (currently top deputy to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte) would be nominated to replace Porter Goss at the CIA should be greeted with opposition from congressional Democrats. Hayden's close connection to Bush's NSA warrantless spying program (as well as his apparent lack of knowledge of the Constitution, etc) provides a perfect opportunity for a renewed debate on the administration's spying activities post-9/11. The NSA program is one of the great scandals of our time and we really need to have a public debate on the status of civil liberties in wartime and of presidential power run amok.

The always adorable folks at PowerLine (aka- Pajamaline) say they would welcome this debate, stating "Hardly anything would give the Republican faithful a bigger boost than the spectacle of Senate Democrats attacking an Air Force general for trying to protect America against terrorism." I'm not sure how far that line of spin (opposition to Bush's spying program is opposition to the war on terrorism) can take them anymore, especially since the facts just do not support them on that one. That spin is merely an intimidation tactic- an attempt to scare Democrats away from confronting the issue. The Republicans keep claiming that this issue will be a 'winner' for them and yet they have gone out of their way to stonewall and silence any efforts to discuss/debate the program. Why one might even begin to think that Republicans are- yup- actually scared of this issue. But hey, that's just me using logic again. Of course, the PowerLine folks also believe the Republicans will make major electoral gains this year, so I don't think any self-respecting person should pay them much attention.

Furthermore, the initial opposition to Gen. Hayden is coming from... Republicans. Oops.

AP: House Intel Panel Chief Opposes Hayden

A leading Republican came out against the front-runner for CIA director, Gen. Michael Hayden, saying Sunday the spy agency should not have military leadership during a turbulent time among intelligence agencies...

...Despite a distinguished career at the Defense Department, Hayden would be "the wrong person, the wrong place at the wrong time," said the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich....

...[In addition, t]he chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he would view a Hayden nomination as a way to get information from the Bush administration about its secretive domestic surveillance program, undertaken by the NSA when Hayden led that agency...

Sorry Hayden, no rubberstamp for you. This nomination must be opposed and defeated.

Finally, Andrew Sullivan has a good write-up on the Goss resignation and how it is being spun. He covers all the right bases- Goss' obvious connection to the so-called 'hookergate' scandal, the way the White House created a smokescreen story about bureaucratic tensions with Negroponte and others, and how the gullible media bought it as they always do. Pay attention to this story as it unfolds, it's going to be interesting.