AP: Bush to Name Retired Admiral As Top Spy

[Eugene]

Bush to Name Retired Admiral As Top Spy
Bush to Name Retired Admiral As New National
Intelligence Director, Replacing Negroponte

By KATHERINE SHRADER

WASHINGTON Jan 4, 2007 (AP)— Retired Vice Adm. Mike McConnell, a veteran of more
than 25 years in the intelligence field, will be named by President Bush to succeed
John Negroponte as national intelligence director, a senior administration official
said Thursday.

Negroponte will move to the State Department to become the No. 2 to Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.

The nominations of McConnell and Negroponte are expected to be announced by Bush
on Friday.

The administration sought to dispel any suggestion that Negroponte's shift was a
demotion. Bush personally reached out to Negroponte, an experienced diplomat, to take
over the long-vacant job as deputy secretary of state, the official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity because Bush has not announced the nomination.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2770927

[Richardo]

1. God, I thought that was going to say "Poindexter"

:whew:

[Nickster]

7. Heh, heh. That was my first thought too! n/t

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Translation: Condi needs lots of help

[UTUSN]

4. & NEGROPONTE is the one to give it to her? We're even worse off than we thought!!1 n/t

[Sal316]

3. Time to duck the mudslinging.

McConnell was NSA director under the Big Dog (92-96).

Let the endless whining begin!

[lapfog_1]

5. So many theories...

1. Condi is moving into the VP (Cheney is leaving), need to get someone there to take over

- I don't like this one. There isn't any real need for Mr. Death Squad to take the No. 2 job there just so he can "be in place" to take the No 1. He could have stayed where he was and still be nominated SoS if she is moving.

2. George doesn't like what Negroponte is telling him as NID.

- I don't like this one because usually (with George) people he doesn't feel are either loyal to him or are doing a good job are simply fired (resign). Negroponte doesn't need an Asst anything to add to his resume, if he was being demoted, he would simply leave government.

3. Various Bush supporting countries (let's take our bestest friends :sarcasm: the Saudis), have told Bush (maybe yet another reason DeadEye was summoned to the Kingdom) that they refuse to deal with Condi anymore.

- I like this one. Various players in the ME probably don't like dealing with a woman (an UNMARRIED woman at that)... and who knows, they have to shake her hand when she is "unclean"! Anyway, I can see Bush pushing one of his "fixers" (Negroponte) into the No 2 job there so he can do any "shuttle diplomacy" and other more behind the scenes crap with our bestest friends... while leaving Condi as the figurehead.

4. WTF ??? Some other reason?

[hippiechick]

6. I tend to agree with your #4 ... BUT ...

... what about Madeline Albright? 'Those countries' seemed to be ok in dealing with her during her tenure in the Clinton Admin ...

... maybe what they don't like about Condi is that she's either a witch or simply unqualified/stupid.


:shrug:

[lapfog_1]

9. About Madeline...

Yes, that's true, she did deal with the Saudis back then... but a few things have changed.

Bill is not George. Big Dog probably wasn't very receptive to protests from the House of Saud. There wasn't a "Bandar Clinton". W. has a much different relationship with them. I suspect that what they tell Bush goes.

The whole ME is more conservative than it used to be. The Saudis especially (not that they were ever "liberal").

I'm sure the Saudis controlled what images that their own people saw much better then than now.

We had some involvement with the ME then, but a lot more now. Plus the Saudis had their good buddy Powell as the first Bush SoS, now they get Condi (I'm sure for a lot of reasons, that seems like a step down, despite the fact that Condi actually has the ear - and other body parts - of the president).

[Nickster]

8. On your #1, it could be to get him through one more confirmation hearing and make it harder to try

to shoot him down from taking the #1 gig. Dunno.

[3waygeek]

10. There's a pretty good analysis

over at Booman Tribune.