Hotline After Dark -- The Spy Who Surprised Me

Pres.-elect Obama's surprise selection of ex-Clinton CoS Leon Panetta as CIA dir. generated mixed reactions:

NBC's Mitchell, on Panetta being criticized for not being an experienced intelligence official: "He may have problems with confirmation. It is clear the incoming Obama folks did not check all the boxes, did not check with the key people that they need to check with in the Senate because the incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein, is not pleased, neither is Jay Rockefeller, the outgoing chair, neither of them were checked with. And they are, in fact, supporting, I am told, Steve Kappes, who is the current deputy director of the CIA. So there is a lot of roiling going on in the intelligence front" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 1/5).

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "The reason this happened is because Obama has caved to his left. The left will not accept anybody who served in any way in the last eight years under the Bush administration because of the enhanced interrogation, the secret prison programs, and the eavesdropping programs. ... It's a mistake. ... He'll pass because Panetta is known and liked. But you got a rookie as a president, a novice as head of the CIA in a time of war -- not a good idea" ("Special Report," FNC, 1/5).

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN): "Leon Panetta is an outstanding public servant and I intend to support his nomination. ... Perhaps they can convince Mr. Kappes to stay on. But I think, look, we have a president. We have to respect his judgment. When it's someone of Leon Panetta's stature, I personally would support that" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 1/5).

After the jump, more Panetta, stimulus package reviews and Burris doesn't back down.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

FNC's Garrett: "When the majority leader, Harry Reid, was asked about reaction to Panetta today, he stared at the reporter and then turned away. That is a silent nod in the opposite direction" ("Special Report," 1/5).

CNN's Borger: "You don't surprise your committee chairmen. And I think that both of them were personally offended. The Obama folks that I talked to who were involved in the transition say that it was a real mistake on their part, and they're upset about it, and they're trying to make amends. But it's a problem" ("AC 360," 1/5).

Washington Post's Dionne: "When you look where the CIA has been and the history of people who came to that agency out of politics, a lot of times an outsider and political person has been successful. That building out there where the CIA is, is named after a guy who was a politician, named George H.W. Bush. So I doubt that Leon Panetta is in trouble for confirmation" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 1/5).

Karl Rove: "Leon Panetta is a very serious person, but I think this is the first foreign policy bobble by the Obama transition. ... He has no experience in intelligence. And we're in the middle of a war in which intelligence is one of our most valuable weapons. ... Intelligence is as complicated and as difficult and as important as the military is. And you want to have somebody who has experience and familiarity with it" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 1/5).

THE GREAT COMPROMISE

Meanwhile, Obama's stimulus package received favorable reviews:

Krauthammer, on Obama coming to the Hill to push the stimulus package: "It was a very smart political stroke. ... By having a large percentage of this package, about a third of it or more, being in cuts, this is the way Obama is drawing in the Republicans. Why is that important? It isn't just that it creates an atmosphere of comity at the beginning, it's because it's going to be a long recovery. ... If you started entirely with Democratic votes, it means the Democrats will be blamed and attacked and could have a massacre in that election. If he brings in the Republicans as he has, he is ecumenical, he brings them in, he protects himself in two years in what is going to be a very slow recovery" ("Special Report," FNC, 1/5).

Washington Post's Murray: "The president-elect has never seen himself as particularly ideological when it comes to economic issues. He has always touted himself as a pragmatist who's willing to listen to ideas from anybody and willing to consider anything that he thinks might work. They see this tax proposal as an act of goodwill, good faith towards Republicans, who they very much want on board on this package" ("NewsHour," PBS, 1/5).

NBC's O'Donnell, on GOPers describing the stimulus package with enthusiasm: "What Republicans really like about this package is the focus on tax cuts, the kind of thing that would put money with a federal check in the pockets of ordinary Americans to try to stimulate the economy. ... What we're hearing today is a willingness to work with the Obama administration, some caution from Republicans about how the money would be spent, how much would be spent, those kinds of things that you would expect from the conservative side" ("1600," MSNBC, 1/5).

Weekly Standard's Hayes, on Obama's advisers hoping for 80 Senate votes in favor of the stimulus package: "It's a pretty striking thing to say that. In Washington, we spend so much time watching politicians lower expectations and say, look, we will be happy if something just passes. We will be happy if we get 60 votes. For them to sort of declare at the outset that they want 80 votes suggests to me that they might actually be really interesting in some wheeling and dealing with Republicans. ... It seems to me in these early comments from the Obama team may be an indication of some wiggle room" ("No Bias, No Bull," CNN, 1/5).

SUNNY AND CLEAR

And ex-IL AG Roland Burris (D) defended his Senate appointment while making the TV rounds.

Burris, asked if he is negotiating with Dem leaders: "Well, no. I have had no direct contact from Senator Reid. What we certainly are looking for is the opportunity to meet with him. And I wish we could have done it today or tomorrow, but his schedule just won't permit it. So therefore, we will probably sit down and meet on Wednesday. ... I hear all this from the media, that there are offers and attempts to compromise, but I don't have any direct knowledge of anyone being in touch with me or my staff to compromise."

MSNBC's Maddow: "If they agreed to drop objections to seating you in the United States Senate on the condition that you wouldn't run for election in 2010, would you consider that?"

Burris: "When I had a press conference in Chicago early on ... I had said that, you know, I would be the interim senator. And when my supporters and friends across Illinois heard that, they said, Roland, you know, you have been elected four times statewide. You are the one who knows this state. Why would you only be a seat warmer? You know, we want you to be elected in 2010 so you can continue to represent us. I mean, they came down hard on me, so I had to kind of rethink my position on that issue. ... I remember my good friend Barack Obama saying he wouldn't run for president, but we are going to inaugurate him on the 20th of January."

Maddow: "Congressman Danny Davis reportedly rejected this offer from Governor Blagojevich. Why didn't you, because of the cloud that it would put over your time in office once you ascend to the Senate if you do?"

Burris: "I don't see any cloud that it would put. I have run statewide in Illinois. I have served statewide. And my good colleague Congressman Davis, you know, has been a congressional representative. He has not been throughout the state of Illinois. So therefore, it would be certainly difficult for him to build up that base over two years, you know, if he sought to run for reelection."

Burris, asked if he agrees with Rep. Bobby Rush (D-01) that there is "a hard-headed room of people in the Senate who want to keep an African-American out of the Senate": "No, I do not agree with the congressman. ... And I'm not responsible in terms of what my supporters say. ... I don't deal with race as a limiting factor or as a controlling factor of an election. I never have, never will, and don't see it in that fashion" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 1/5).

Burris, on IL LG Pat Quinn referring to IL as an "international laughing stock": "I look upon my appointment by the governor as a solution. And it is all the other, what I would assess to be, you know, the politics of a subject that keep this matter going" ("Situation Room," CNN, 1/5).