AP: Bush to Name Retired Admiral As Top Spy

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

:whew:

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

Let the endless whining begin!

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?

... 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:

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).

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

over at Booman Tribune.