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unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Tue Jan 8, 2013, 08:46 AM Jan 2013

Obama Nominates John Brennan, 'Kill List' Architect, as New CIA Chief

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/07

John Brennan's career spans from the dark days of Bush's torture program to Obama's secretive 'kill list'

Obama Nominates John Brennan, 'Kill List' Architect, as New CIA Chief
Jon Queally, staff writer
Published on Monday, January 7, 2013 by Common Dreams

At a White House ceremony on Monday afternoon, President Obama officially nominated his top counterterrorism advisor John Brennan to be the next director of the CIA.

In his assessment of the decision, the Guardian's Glenn Greenwald argues that it should not be shocking that Brennan—who was withdrawn from consideration for CIA chief in 2008 because of his association with the CIA's torture program under President Bush—has now been brought back by President Obama in 2013.

Greenwald called Obama's nomination of Brennan a "symptom of Obama's own extremism (in the controversial areas of torture, targeted killings, and the US drone policy), not a cause."

Calling it a fitting choice, Greenwald said the decision

is a perfect illustration of the Obama legacy that a person who was untouchable as CIA chief in 2008 because of his support for Bush's most radical policies is not only Obama's choice for the same position now, but will encounter very little resistance. Within this change one finds one of the most significant aspects of the Obama presidency: his conversion of what were once highly contentious right-wing policies into harmonious dogma of the DC bipartisan consensus.

13 replies

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Obama Nominates John Brennan, 'Kill List' Architect, as New CIA Chief (Original Post) unhappycamper Jan 2013 OP

Horrible pick. So disappointing. Brennan is the one who lied about civilians being killed by drones. morningfog Jan 2013 #1

Another republican pick leftynyc Jan 2013 #2

Had enough yet, America? woo me with science Jan 2013 #3

I'm trying to remember why I voted for Obama twice Arcanetrance Jan 2013 #4

Can John Yoo be far behind? forestpath Jan 2013 #5

I feel certain this is a "Petraeus effect" appointment-- TwilightGardener Jan 2013 #6

Want that the logic behind the Betrayus selection? TheKentuckian Jan 2013 #7

Not saying I think it's necessarily a good pick--just that I think I see TwilightGardener Jan 2013 #9

Really sad day malaise Jan 2013 #8

kr Solly Mack Jan 2013 #10

I'd ignore that nasty baggage from across the pond. allrevvedup Jan 2013 #11

Brennan's proof Mimosa Jan 2013 #12

Gotta out-Republican the Republicans jsr Jan 2013 #13

morningfog

(18,115 posts)

1. Horrible pick. So disappointing. Brennan is the one who lied about civilians being killed by drones.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 08:56 AM

Jan 2013

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)

2. Another republican pick

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 09:00 AM

Jan 2013

I find this pattern very alarming.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)

3. Had enough yet, America?

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 09:09 AM

Jan 2013

Do we understand yet?

Arcanetrance

(2,670 posts)

4. I'm trying to remember why I voted for Obama twice

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 09:16 AM

Jan 2013

At every turn he smacks people like me in the face and when I complain I told to sit down and shut up or I'm not really a Democrat or a liberal

forestpath

(3,102 posts)

5. Can John Yoo be far behind?

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 10:27 AM

Jan 2013

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

6. I feel certain this is a "Petraeus effect" appointment--

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 10:30 AM

Jan 2013

Obama can't take a chance on someone untrustworthy or at odds with the culture again in the CIA. He knows and trusts Brennan, and that's more important to him than probably any other factor.

TheKentuckian

(25,029 posts)

7. Want that the logic behind the Betrayus selection?

Reply to TwilightGardener (Reply #6)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 10:37 AM

Jan 2013

Obama trusting this vile man is a problem.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

9. Not saying I think it's necessarily a good pick--just that I think I see

Reply to TheKentuckian (Reply #7)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 10:54 AM

Jan 2013

where Obama is coming from with it.

malaise

(269,157 posts)

8. Really sad day

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 10:39 AM

Jan 2013

A torturer - war criminal

Solly Mack

(90,785 posts)

10. kr

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 10:55 AM

Jan 2013

allrevvedup

(408 posts)

11. I'd ignore that nasty baggage from across the pond.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 11:04 AM

Jan 2013

Here's a better metric: the harder Greenwald and Hedges fulminate in someone's direction, the better they must be. Here's AEI spokesperson Danielle Pletka, drum-banger extrarodinaire for the Iraq war during the terra era, complaining this morning on NPR that Brennan is a Hezbollah-lcoddling jihadist:

On Monday, President Obama announced he would nominate Chuck Hagel to be Defense secretary and John Brennan for CIA director. Steve Inskeep talks to Danielle Pletka, vice president of foreign and defense policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and Vali Nasr, a scholar of the Muslim world and a former adviser to the Obama administration, about these nominations.

listen to interview: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/08/168853289/how-will-new-administration-nominees-affect-foreign-policy

Her beef is that Brennan has offended everybody (Israel) and is insufficiently fanatical about crushing our enemies (Iran).

YMMV.

Mimosa

(9,131 posts)

12. Brennan's proof

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 11:10 AM

Jan 2013

Brennan is proof that sometimes people get the faces they deserve. His 'wall face' is hard and cruel.

jsr

(7,712 posts)

13. Gotta out-Republican the Republicans

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 11:27 AM

Jan 2013

as usual.

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