The Netroots Heart Panetta
Although liberal bloggers don't exactly view ex-WH CoS Leon Panetta as a progressive champion, they're nevertheless pleased that he's been tapped by Pres.-elect Barack Obama to become the next CIA dir. Why? Because Panetta satisfies the netroots' primary criterion for the position: he's an outspoken opponent of torture.
After it was reported in November that ex-National Counterrorism Center head John Brennan was the leading candidate to become CIA dir., the netroots complained vociferously. They didn't want anyone associated with the Bush admin.'s controversial interrogation programs to lead the agency. Lefty bloggers were relieved when Brennan took himself out of the running, only to start fretting once more when it was reported that Obama might ask current dir. Mike Hayden to stay on for a while.
Coming on the heels of the Brennan and Hayden rumors, the Panetta selection came as welcome news to liberal bloggers. While the netroots may not love everything about Panetta's record, they think his appointment signifies a much-needed departure from George W. Bush's intelligence-gathering policies. "Good for Obama for not letting the CIA's torture apologists pressure him into naming one of their own," one blogger wrote. Another declared: "By picking Panetta, Obama is repudiating the waterboarding ways of the Bush-Cheney administration."
Meanwhile, liberal bloggers did not take kindly to incoming Senate Intel Cmte Chair Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) criticism of the Panetta selection. "The fact is that DiFi is actually implicated in the torture regime and should just shut up on this," one blogger snapped. Another complained: "Feinstein had no problem voting for pro-torture Attorney General Mike Mukaskey and pro-torture CIA head Porter Goss and both have by and large bought Bush's bullsh*t for 8 years running, but heaven forbid someone who will not run the CIA like a '24' episode be appointed."
(IAN FAERSTEIN)
Exactly what torture has the U.S. practiced, and on whom has this torture been performed?