To head the most imprtant part of an intelligence community already disastrously overly-politicized, the President whose party already contols the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, has proposed, yes, a Republican politician.

And Porter Goss is not just any politician but the one who currently chairs the House Committee on Intelligence, the Congressional watchdog which has rolled over for the Administration for more than three years.

A few minutes ago I heard him on NPR, speaking since his nomination. He says the CIA needs more muscle, that the U.S. shouldn't be loved around the world, but rather respected (read, feared), and that if, within the U.S., it's to be a question of Big Brother or dead brother, he would see to it that there are no more dead brothers.

Doesn't sound like intelligence to me.

Digby has more.

Let's just say that when push comes to shove, old Porter is a partisan Republican first and a guardian of the CIA second. Be warned.

[image from Capitol Shopping Mall]