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Obama stands by Panetta pick for CIA chief

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

January 7, 2009

WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama is defending his unexpected CIA nominee Leon Panetta, who faced a surge of skepticism in Congress yesterday but is not expected to draw serious opposition when his confirmation reaches the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Obama promised that his intelligence team - led by Panetta and retired Adm. Dennis Blair, the nominee for national intelligence director - will break with Bush administration practices that he said tarnished U.S. intelligence agencies and American foreign policy.

Word of Panetta's selection Monday caught key senators by surprise - notably California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, the incoming Intelligence Committee chairwoman.

Obama didn't consult Feinstein or Sen. John D. Rockefeller, the outgoing chairman, about his choice - something a committee official said should have happened for protocol and politics. Feinstein and Rockefeller also questioned Panetta's lack of intelligence-gathering experience.

Obama called Feinstein and apologized yesterday, her office confirmed. In a separate statement, Feinstein noted that she had been called by Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, but she expressed no support for Panetta, a fellow California political veteran.

"They have explained to me the reasons why they believe Leon Panetta is the best candidate for CIA director," Feinstein said, adding only that she looked forward to "speaking with Mr. Panetta about the critical issues facing the intelligence community and his plans to address them."

Meeting with reporters in the Capitol yesterday, Biden said the Obama team made a "mistake" in not consulting with top Senate officials before choosing Panetta. Biden said the lapse was a process mistake, but he praised the selection of Panetta, calling the Californian a "strong figure" for the CIA who would "take it on a new path."