If the corrupt Ms. Feinstein, who is also a leading FISA traitor against the constitution, wants to take on Obama over Panetta, this is a good place for the new president to kick some Senate ass and show that he's not going to be pushed around like Carter and Clinton. Democratic presidents, to be successful, don't have to worry about the GOP; its their own guys that they have to take down a peg. She's dumb as a box of rocks, too; probably has her staff spell "intelligence" for her. I'd ask Rahm if he has any ideas about ways to bring her into line, and then I'd go in with both feet. Obama's more popular in California than she is anyway. If the new president wants to go to heaven, it will be a long four years; if he wants to use his power in the service of his country and straighten out this corrupt political system, he can't be friends with the likes of the distinguished Senator from California. And read "Legacy of Ashes" if you want to see what "professional" management of the CIA has gotten us, and what carnage it has caused.

It's Feinstein's brand of "experience" that has brought America to its intelligence and foreign-policy disasters. What does she want, another neocon with blood on his hands?

It would be far better to have an intelligent, capable Obama loyalist in the position of CIA director. Otherwise, Obama will always have to question whether his intelligence reports are being filtered through a political prism.

I've got an idea for Obama: how about liquidating the CIA? Free up ~$30 billion from the budget right there, neatly get around confirmation problems with Panetta. While the CIA would have us believe otherwise, the US actually existed quite well for a long time before the CIA came into existence.

And given the track record of the benighted agency over the years, maybe the US would be better off without it. I know that's far beyond the weak tea being pimped by the DC Beltway consensus, but still, why not? It bothers me that good programs like Medicare and Social Security are increasingly under siege in the current climate of corruption, but democratically questionable organizations like the CIA are in a national security lockbox, untouchable, budgets only growing.

Why not axe the CIA and breathe some life back into the State Department? C'mon, Obama! Be bold!

Obama should have picked an intelligence community insider with compatible politics.

Funny, Feinstein had no problem approving Bush's picks. She and Rockefeller both eagerly voted for retroactive immunity for telecom wiretapping. Now she wants to exercise control? Sorry, Senator, you abdicated your authority long ago. You have no credibility left. Clearly, approving Panetta (who has nothing to hide) would reveal the depths to which you sunk in your deal-with-the-devil.

than having these two clowns complain about Panetta. The previous letters about Feinstein, who has seems to only stand for her own incredibly narrow political interest on every question. Going out of her way to support warrant-less wiretapping and representing California? What is that all about? From her initial comments it seems like she was more upset about not being informed, and her statement about needing someone with intelligence experience are inane and mindless. What amazing intelligence experience did George HW Bush have before he became known as the greatest CIA head ever?

And Rockfeller is a total joke, he rolled over to Bush and his administration's trashing of the Constitution ever chance he got. One of the reasons we are constantly warned not to prosecute possible criminal violations is because Dems (like Rockfeller) backed it!

Here we are years after 9/11 with no increase in human intelligence sources, analysts who can't speak the language, and policies that actually hurt our image around the world. And two of the people responsible for this legacy of failure are complaining ALREADY about an appointment of a highly qualified individual because he doesn't come from their sandbox? Enough!

Two of the amoral self-serving whores that let things get to this sorry-assed state.

You've lost all credibility in California. The fact that a couple of traitors to the Constitution like you and Rockefeller are against Panetta is a ringing endorsement.

We've had no end of "intelligence" "experts" running the CIA and what has it got us? Back off and let Obama do what we elected him to do.

An insider is not who you want for that job.

But what about the sleepers, zombies, and paramilitary sadists?

They'll give him the dog whistle, but he won't know how to play it.

Running the CIA ain't brain surgery ...... you just have to think like an animal.

It's about time we get an "untainted" head of the CIA.

Considering allegations by Cheney that Jay Rockefeller and others in the Democratic leadership were in the loop when our civil liberties were signed away, and surveillance became the norm, it does not surprise me that ranking members of the Dems are protesting.

At our annual security refresher briefs we from time to time host "distinguished" guest speakers from the creepy world of espionage. They think of human beings like chess pieces being played on a game board. Except real people DIE while they play their games. Totally whack.

Other times we have DoD folks as speakers (retired or active duty senior officers), and they're usually very cool, smart, honest and inspiring.

I'd rather that Obama would have picked a general or admiral for the post of CIA chief, but even a Clinton political hack is a better choice than someone from inside the bizzaro world of the intelligence community (or the bizzaro world of the US Congress for that matter).

OTOH, regarding the creep factor--in retrospect it's good training at an anti-espionage briefing; he should merely instruct: "If a creepy fucker like me starts asking you questions about your job, call the FBI." No shit!!!

Obama figured out what dull tools Feinstein and Rockefeller are. We have McKasey and his obstruction of due process, and the FISA "never mind we're screwing the 4th amendment rights of Americans" legislation to thank them for.

I would hope that rather than protest they would have the grace to resign.