Uh-Oh

Seriously. This is not good.
The leading candidate for CIA for Obama is, according to a fairly wide-range of observers, a continuation of Bush-Cheney. His name is John Brennan.

Here is Marc Ambinder:
"Democratic and national security sources say that former National Counterrorism Center head John Brennan remains the favorite to be nominated director of the Central Intelligence Agency even as his pending appointment raises the hackles of some Obama advisers because of his ties to George Tenet and controversial programs."

Raises the hackles? I'd go way beyond that. How about "this potential appointment threatens to unleash holy hell on the Obama transition effort?"

There were very few bloggers who were more adamant in their support of Barack Obama than Andrew Sullivan. From his widely read and highly influential Atlantic magazine piece, "Goodbye To All That" that made a compelling case for Obama's election, to his campaign season evisceration of John McCain (who Sullivan had admired) Sullivan has been Obama's number one fan.

But there's trouble in paradise. From today's Daily Dish:

"It's fine not to uproot the entire agency and to have some continuity. But for Obama to appoint a Bush-Cheney apologist to the CIA? How on earth did this idea get this far?

It may be that Brennan will stop torture under any euphemism. But the trouble with this area of policy is that it is necessarily secret and so trusting the people running the CIA is essential. I don't trust Brennan. On the question of torture, it is absolutely vital that there be a clean break with Bush-Cheney at the top of the agency. Many CIA staffers have been implicated in war crimes, and their cover-up. If you were to de-Cheneyize the entire place after eight years of entrenchment, you'd have few people with real skills left. So the top leadership is vital. It needs to signal that there is no longer any doubt that the US is abiding by Geneva, including Article 3, in all its branches of government.

The least we know is that Brennan is ambivalent about this. Ambivalence on this matter is unacceptable. We haven't fought for decency and reform and a return to American values for so long to be turned back now. We didn't work our butts off to elect Obama only to get Bush another four years at CIA. If Brennan emerges as the pick, those of us against the continuation of war crimes and the prosecution of war criminals will have to oppose him strenuously in the nomination process. We will, in fact, have to go to war with Obama before he even takes office.

And if Obama doubts our seriousness, I have three words for him. Yes we can."




Message to the Obama camp. Don't go there. One of the most powerful forces behind your election to the Presidency was/is the belief that the country would leave behind the most toxic and vile chapter in our history. The belief was that we were returning to the better angels of our nature. Do. Not. Disappoint.