US Senate confirms James Clapper as US spy chief

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France Presse

US Senate confirms James Clapper as US spy chief
8 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama's nominee to be US spy chief, James Clapper, has won unanimous senate confirmation to the troubled post of director of national intelligence.

Lawmakers approved his nomination by "unanimous consent," a voice vote that can be scuttled if even one senator objects, not long after the Senate Intelligence Committee backed him by a 15-0 vote.

Clapper will be the fourth Director of National Intelligence, a post created after the September 11, 2001 strikes and scandals over faulty intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Obama tapped Clapper, a veteran of US spy efforts, in early June to replace retired navy admiral Dennis Blair and help turn around troubled US intelligence efforts.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100806/pl_afp/usintelligencepoliticssenateclapper

[Judi Lynn]

1. Last thread on Clapper, he was being blocked by McCain:

McCain holds up confirmation of new Director of National Intelligence
Posted by sabra
Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) - Sen. John McCain put a "hold" on the confirmation of James Clapper to be the Director of National Intelligence, the Arizona Republican's spokeswoman said Monday.

"Senator McCain requested a specific report that Mr. Clapper has and until that report is provided, Senator McCain will continue to hold his nomination," Brooke Buchanan said.

Senate Democrats hoped to clear Clapper confirmation before the August recess, which begins at the end of the week. Unless Clapper satisfies McCain's request, Clapper will likely have to wait until mid-September when the Senate returns to work.

Buchanan would not provide the subject matter nor other details of the report McCain has requested.

...

If Clapper's confirmation is delayed, there could be a huge vacuum at the top of the intelligence community because Deputy DNI David Gompert, who is currently the acting DNI, is resigning at the end of August.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4488698

[jaksavage]

2. Read Legacy of Ashes

history of the CIA.
The CIA should be disbanded, it is a failure on so many levels.
Our hand in covert action should be eliminated.
NSA and other agencies can do what the CIA does in spying.

[Green_Lantern]

9. yeah right disband the CIA...

I'm not opposing that but if a politician tried to do that they'd go missing.

Actually if you got rid of the CIA the State Dept. would just use private contractors with profit motive.

[EFerrari]

13. There's very little sunlight between State and La CIA.

Isn't there an old joke, why aren't there coups in America -- because there's no American Embassy there.

[Green_Lantern]

14. what do you mean?

The CIA is part of the State Dept.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Ok...who besides me thought of " copper clappers" the Jack Webb skit on the Carson show?

[awoke_in_2003]

4. Haven't seen that...

but I was thinking "Clap on. Clap off"

[Judi Lynn]

6. Here it is. I had to look it up after seeing your post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVkZZsS-66c

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[InkAddict]

8. That's hilarious - I thought:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olFSZprH7H8&feature=related

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Bless you ! It has been over 40 years since I saw that.

Holds up well, too.

[EFerrari]

5. From Amy's headlines June 10:

The Associated Press reports a Senate vote on President Barack Obama’s choice for national intelligence director could be delayed into the fall because of questions about whether the nominee would be too close to the Pentagon. The nominee, James Clapper, is a retired Air Force general who currently serves as undersecretary of defense for intelligence. From 2001 to 2006, Clapper headed the Pentagon’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In that position, Clapper played a key role in promoting the Bush administration’s claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction prior to the 2003 invasion. In October 2003, Clapper said it was unquestionably true that Iraq moved WMDs to Syria ahead of the war. The website ThinkProgress reports former Bush adviser Karl Rove has cited Clapper’s theory to defend claims by the Bush administration that it believed Iraq posed an imminent security threat to the United States.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Just when you think you've heard everything. This is beyond belief.

That's a great find. Thank you.

[Roland99]

10. It's not beyond belief at all.

This is one of the major things that worried me about Obama...his eagerness to escalate in Afghanistan.

He still hasn't replaced Sec. Gates either.

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. You would have to be blind and deaf not see what has and is going on.