Think Progress

Feinstein says she’ll support Panetta.

After complaining that she was not informed in advance about Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) now says she’ll support the nomination. Feinstein previously said that she wanted “an intelligence professional in charge” of the CIA. But following a 20-minute conservation with Panetta last night, she “came away confident he’d surround himself with good personnel at the agency.”

Update Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the intelligence committee, said he is keeping an "open mind" on Panetta.
Update Contacted by ThinkProgress, an aide to Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) said the senator had "no further comment" on Panetta's nomination. Rockefeller expressed concerns similar to Feinstein's shortly after Panetta's name leaked on Monday.


34 Responses to “Feinstein says she’ll support Panetta.”

  1. Chocolate Jesus says:

    ha, i wonder if this about face is the result of feinstein accepting the inevitable or her getting assured her hubbies war profiteering wont be inquired into too deeply..

    another worthless bush hack complaining about panetta..
    I guess they only support CIA nominees who come clean an openly admit they arent qualified, like Porter Goss did..

    http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/townsend.cia/index.html

    judging by the character of the people complaining about him, I’m likin this guy more each day..


  2. robbez_92107 says:

    Why the hell not, DiFi? We don’t forget that you supported Mukasey.


  3. Wayne says:

    Rachael Maddow ripped Feinstien up on her show last night over her comments.


  4. Buckie Boy says:

    So Bush’s Lap Dog was miffed that she was told…why the hell should they care if she was told? She sided with the devil for 8 years, and now she thinks she is gonna be ignored, DINOs are gonna get their just deserts for their treason.


  5. Game of Life says:

    She isn’t the President so she’d better chill the f out.


  6. Chocolate Jesus says:

    oh, and just so you can get a sense of the previously mentioned bush hacks prudent judgement, heres what she said of george bush:’There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, til all men walk on higher ground in their lifetime.’ Mr. President, you are such a man.”


  7. Bozo The Neoclown says:

    after eight years of being chimpy’s personal doormat, feinstein has no room to piss and moan about anything.


  8. Jackie says:

    Feinstein is just scared her husband Richard Blum’s illegal contracts will come to light. Now what’s funny is Diane said who ever Bush picked was his business as Bush appointed Porter Goss who didn’t even know how to use a computer or cell phone. She appointed of every appointee Bush picked even knowing they had no experience or qualifications for the job. She was a supporter of Gonzales who showed he didn’t know law even during his confirmation hearing as Feinstein went along with the White House. Diane Feinstein has profitted from the corruption of the GOP and is in their back pocket as it shows now. Even Pelosi took the bibes from the White House and Harry Reid is all over the place now looking for support for Ted Stevens the convicted felon. When the criminal cases come to light we will see alot of well known Democratics who played their part and got the pay to play money from the White House. Diane, Nancy and Harry should change their party to be Republicans like Joe Lieberman as they do as their told. Panetta will find out how Feinstein worked with her husband and Fargo/Wilkes to scam the US taxpayers out of billions of dollars. Now both Fargo/Wilkes have been convicted of crimes as Fargo worked in the CIA. Porter Goss just held the title and let the crimes continue as usual.


  9. pete says:

    Always a class act. (spits)


  10. SP Biloxi says:

    “Feinstein says she’ll support Panetta”

    Interesting about face for Feinstein. She knew that her past votes for torture, wiretapping, and Bush nominees would come back to bite her. And she certainly has been quite a busy bee acting as cheerleader voicing her support for Roland Burris to sit on the Senate as the junior Senator of Illinois. I think the biggest slap in the face and egg on her face came from comments from ex-CIA officer Robert Baer on Rachel Maddow’s show last night:

    Ex-agent: Feinstein wrong, CIA needs an ‘adult in charge’

    http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Former_CIA_agent_Panetta_a_good_0107.html

    And this by Scott Horton:

    Scott Horton, for example, writes, “The bottom line is that Jay Rockefeller was an abject failure when it came to intelligence oversight. His term as ranking member and then chair of the Senate intelligence committee was one in which Congress generally, and the Senate in particular, failed to live up to their Constitutional mandate. … The Rockefeller-Feinstein record was little short of disastrous. I’m delighted that the Obama team didn’t consult them.”


  11. Anonymouse says:

    She just wanted a hug.


  12. katy says:

    it wasn’t very smart of her to pitch this fit, and call attention to her criminal ties… sure hope there wasn’t a plea bargain with that “support”…


  13. ElBruce says:

    I like to imagine that she woke up this morning with a horse’s head in her bed, and a note saying “Love, Rahm.”


  14. katy says:

    Wayne Says:
    Rachael Maddow ripped Feinstien up on her show last night over her comments.

    i saw that too, wayne… commented on that somewhere…

    do you think di will take rachel up on her invitation to be on the show?

    ha!


  15. Leftside Annie says:

    Well, now, that’s mighty darn white of her – to support her President’s nominee and all…

    Gee, thanks, DiFi. We appreciate it.

    (The above was brought to you by Snarktastic Prods. Inc.)


  16. LiberalVoter says:

    rhf – Besides setting up something that did not happen, you are totally wrong about my support for Feinstein. I feel it is time for her to retire to North Dallas with her hero. When she first started in the Senate, there was hope. Now, she is a total hack and needs to ‘piss off’!


  17. LiberalVoter says:

    rhf, Would you please give Obama at LEAST A MONTH BEFORE YOU BECOME A FRIGGING TROLL? JESUS CHRIST. WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?


  18. IgnoranceIsNotBliss says:

    I’m a little confused as to why she felt it was necessary to inform her before informing anyone else. I know that it may be customary, but when all is said and done, is this something that he has to do?


  19. rmwarnick says:

    The outrage of DiFi seems a tad misplaced. She calmly accepted all of Bush’s extreme politics and even criminal activity, but now she’s upset because she had to read about Panetta in the New York Times?


  20. katy says:

    But to trash DiFi for DOING HER JOB when she wasn’t the one that f**ked up is the TROLLING – MORON!

    when did hate come to make excuses for allowing illegal spying and war crimes?

    whodduthunkit…

    that puma virus is serious… and it keeps coming back around…
    wash your hands, girl…


  21. bonzo 1958 says:

    rhf, the reason people are giving her a hard time is because she’s a hypocritical DINO. She approved everything bush suggested and here’s what she said about that in her own words.

    “In justifying her vote to confirm Porter Goss as CIA director in 2004, Feinstein said, “I believe the President should have the prerogative to appoint who he wants to be the DCI, or for any other senior position, subject only to the requirement that the person be qualified for the job.” Indeed, as Matt Yglesias writes, “it’s worth noting that not only has it never been the case that the CIA Director must be a career intelligence professional, it’s also long been the case that past service as a White House Chief of Staff has been viewed as a wide-ranging qualification for future public office.”

    http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/06/panetta-feinstein-rockefeller/


  22. katy says:

    the story broke before obama could make any call…
    the obama team did not f-up.


  23. LiberalVoter says:

    rhf, I was reminded you have never recovered from Hillary not being nominated. Fine. Seek help. And as for Obama on the cross, there is no room there until you take Hillary down from it. As for Feinstein doing her job, that is a frigging joke. Do you have no clue at all?


  24. LiberalVoter says:

    rhf, If you supported the Constitution you would be pissed at Feinstein. Try read it before spewing.


  25. LiberalVoter says:

    Gee, an ADULT calling me a MORON. Wow. That’s rich.

    IT IS NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR OBAMA NOT TO NOTIFY FEINSTEIN BEFORE MAKING HIS CHOICE.

    Take down your pictures of Hillary, it’s over.


  26. LiberalVoter says:

    And as for Feinstein dealing with the appointment, now she is on board. Geeze, I guess it did not matter to her if Panetta was qualified or not so long as her ego was stroked. Great, just the type of person we need in the position.


  27. curious says:

    Feinstein in all these years, never met a Bush illegality she could not support. She is a Bushie. She is a Republican posing as a Democrat.

    As for Panetta, he is an intelligent man. Professionals have not done the job. We are going to be hit again eventually no matter who is in office. As for 9/11, when Bush came into office the Clinton staff had a series of three meetings set up to tell his staff about the terrorism situation. Clinton spent months on it and had a couple of volumes printed. He told Bush it was going to be the most important thing he faced.

    Well the Bush team never showed up for any of the meetings. Not one. And Bush shelved the reports that Clinton had set up for him. He also ignored all the information he was given before the 9/11 debacle. So when this idiot and his fellow idiots say they could not have guess it would happen and planes would be used they lied as usual. Planes were specifically mentioned by the intelligence community.

    So no one cares if Feinstein supports Panetta or not. She should do what she does best. Fatten up her rolodex and her husbands coffers until she gets out of office. She is marginal due to her own voting record. Let’s hope she stays that way. Although seeing the hand writing, she might do what she does best. Play the game for the new President. Which ever way the wind blows, so blows Dianne.


  28. Leftside Annie says:

    You know what, RHF? You can bite me. I haven’t insulted you in any of my posts – there is no need for you to shriek hysterically and fling your feces at me.

    There are sound reasons for the choice of Panetta; he has been on point with intelligence for years, and managing the spook factory does not require that he be a spook himself, only that he knows how it works.

    I expect Democrats to support Obama. That does not imply that I am advocating the same kind of mindless rubber-stamping practiced by Republicans. Furthermore, I have never been a big fan of DiFi – or any Democrat that has rolled over for Chimpy.

    DiFi has been an accomplice to torture and Constitution shredding for the last 8 years – and frankly, I don’t give a flying crap *what* she thinks. She can drop dead – with the rest of the DINOs for all I care. And you too.


  29. LiberalVoter says:

    Folks, I apologize for my tirade in this thread. I could have been more mature in my replies.

    Pax


  30. bonzo 1958 says:

    Rest assured RHF, no matter how important you think your posts are, this will be the last time I ever respond.


  31. ElBruce says:

    LiberalVoter Says:

    Folks, I apologize for my tirade in this thread. I could have been more mature in my replies.

    Well, I didn’t find anything flaggable in your comments, unlike some I could mention.


  32. barbsnow says:

    Could it be that DF has gone rogue a few times this week to reinforce her constituents loyalty..re: uproar about RW at the Inauguration Invocation?


  33. stateofthedivision says:

    Frances Townsend produced a commentary on CNN on Panetta’s nomination. The ex-White House Homeland Security Adviser wasn’t positive.

    http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/townsend.cia/

    My commentary on her commentary:

    http://stateofthedivision.blogspot.com/2009/01/frances-townsend-weighs-in-on-leon.html


  34. delafield says:

    Dianne Feinstein – another rubber stamp for Zionism, Israel, and terrorism in the Middle East. How sad for America and Americans.



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