The Feld-Blog

On Friday Porter Goss, Head of the CIA resigned suddenly and effective immediately - an incredible rarity for Washington resignations. On Monday, Bush is expected to name Gen. Michael Hayden, currently the deputy National Security Advisor and General in the Air Force, to Goss' old post. Republicans in Congress think this is a bad idea, and get this: I agree with them.

Right now this Administration is only hearing from the voices that are telling it what it wants to hear. Rice, Rummy, Cheney and Negroponte seem only to tell Bush what he wants to hear. Appointing Hayden could only make this worse. While I would like to have confidence in Hayden, his current boss is Negroponte and he has worked directly under Cheney before as well. Furthermore, as a military general, obedience to Secretary Rumsfeld runs in his veins.

Suddenly appointing him to head his own agency will effectively castrate the CIA. It would be nice to have a former military officer heading the CIA to add more credibility to his position so that he won't merely be drowned out by Rummy. Even if he does get promoted, however, it isn't easy to suddenly see your former bosses as equals. Hayden will most likely (consciously or not) treat Cheney, Negroponte and Rumsfeld as if they were still his boss. (Rumsfeld technically still is his boss since he is an active military officer). What Bush needs right now is a powerful new voice. Someone who can hold his or her own in the intelligence community's debates and one who won't feel sheepish about contradicting former bosses.

The last thing this administration needs right now is another yes man.

Oh yeah... and then there was that whole NSA wiretapping thing. Hayden created and subsequently defended the warrentless domestic spying program that has drawn so much flak.

He's looking down the road at a rocky confirmation process and with Democrats and Republicans lining up to give him the thumbs down, it looks like the world will soon see Hayden for the empty shirt he is.