Bush Nomination of Representative Goss to Head CIA a “Mistake,” U.S. Senator Says

By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — The nomination of Representative Porter Goss (R-Fla.) to head the CIA is a “mistake,” U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 10).

“I urged the president to look for an individual with unimpeachable, nonpartisan national security credentials and I wrote him asking that he consult with Congress prior to making any appointment.  I said then and I still believe that the selection of a politician, — any politician, from either party — is a mistake,” Rockefeller (W.Va.) said in a statement.

Bush yesterday announced Goss who heads the House intelligence committee, as his choice to replace former CIA Director George Tenet. Prior to serving in Congress, Goss worked as a U.S. Army intelligence officer and a CIA officer.

During an appearance this morning on NBC’s Today, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is also on the Senate intelligence panel, echoed Rockefeller’s criticisms.

“I respect Porter Goss, a good man who could serve us in many capacities in government. But at this moment in time, we need to take politics out of intelligence. We need to make certain that whoever is the head of this agency can stand up to any president of either party, tell them the honest truth even if it hurts politically,” Durbin said.

Other Democratic members of the Senate intelligence committee were more guarded in their comments yesterday, saying they would use Goss’ confirmation hearings to gauge his view on the broader issue of intelligence reform (see related GSN story, today).

“It is my hope that this nomination will not be an impediment to this reform effort and I will vote accordingly once the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has had an opportunity to complete its review,” Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

The Senate intelligence committee is set to begin confirmation hearings during the first week of September, committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said this morning on Today. Such hearings will be “civil,” Roberts said, adding that he believed Goss would probably be confirmed.

Bush’s choice of Goss was met with praise yesterday from the CIA and Republican lawmakers.

“I congratulate Chairman Goss on his nomination.  He is no stranger to the rigors and complexities of foreign intelligence in our democracy.  And he understands the crucial role intelligence plays in defending our freedoms,” acting CIA Director John McLaughlin said in a statement.

“Serving with Porter during the past 16 years of his public service career, I have known him to be a most able, experienced and conscientious member of Congress with unique experience and expertise in national security and intelligence issues,” Roberts said in a statement.  “I believe he has the capability to provide the agency and our intelligence community with new thinking combined with experience and a steady hand,” he added. 

During his appearance on Today, Roberts rejected Democrats’ criticisms that Goss was too political of a choice to head the CIA.

“Well, I think we’re all politicians in the Congress. It would mean that anybody that is elected then couldn’t serve in some capacity with our government afterwards. I just don’t think that’s a very good argument,” he said.

Durbin today accused the White House of timing its nomination to the presidential election, forcing Democrats to either quickly confirm Goss or risk being seen as hindering efforts to improve intelligence.

“I think the White House may be playing this from the political angle. And if they are, it’s unfortunate. We have a responsibility to the people of this country to choose someone at the head of this intelligence agency to protect us in this war against terrorism. But we still have a responsibility, regardless of the election, to ask the hard questions of this nominee or any other nominee before confirmation,” he said.

The Washington Post today cited Republican officials as saying that Bush’s choice of Goss was motivated, in part, because of concerns that Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry (Mass.) gained an advantage by endorsing the intelligence reform measures proposed by the Sept. 11 commission ahead of the president. A Republican political operative cited by the Post said that recent polling found that Bush’s support for the commission’s proposals was not well understood by the public and that he had to nominate Goss to show he was “moving ahead.”

In a statement yesterday, Kerry said that Goss’ confirmation hearings should be “fair, bipartisan and expeditious.” He refused to comment directly on the merits of the nomination, instead focusing on the issue of intelligence reform and the creation of a national intelligence director as recommended by the Sept. 11 commission.

“The most important thing we can do right now is reform and strengthen our intelligence services as the 9/11 Commission has recommended. I hope that Congressman Goss shares this view and will now support the creation of this important post,” Kerry said in a statement.

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