Exhibit A in why the Dems need to get rid of Tom Daschle

Today Porter Goss, who was recntly confirmed as the uber head of the CIA, named 4 partisan politicos to positions of power and influence directly reporting to him in his new agency. Where the bipartisanship he claimed during his confirmation hearings? Geezum Peezum. We are left like Charlie Brown on the ground after Lucy has pulled back the football for the umpteenth time. And why exactly is that? Well, because Tom Daschle, the Minority Leader of the Dems is running for re-election in a tight race that has completely emasculated him. And frankly, given his locale, his seat will always be iffy. Undoubtedly he is constantly looking over his shoulder, thinking of the fate of House Speaker Tom Foley, whose Eastern Washington constituency is very similar to that of South Dakota.

The Democrats have to shake off their current system of governance and instead select a leader who can, well, to be frank, lead. Right now we've got Chester Milquetoast and his minions giving it all away to the Pubbies. This is ludicrous. Even if the Senate some how magically becomes Democratic after Nov. 3, Daschle will still be a frikkin wimp. He has to go. Sentiment has no place in the equation. We need someone who will force discipline on the rank and file (bet the Senators love to be called rank and file). Get the g*dd*mned whips out!!

AARGH.

moe, w/ patch on eye


Update 10/04/04

Well, Porter Goss seems to be on his way to setting a certain 'tone' at his uber agency per Tapped:

October 04, 2004
OH, PORTER. I misspoke last week when I strongly implied that Porter Goss just might reinforce the notion that he's a partisan hack by installing four partisan hacks in senior positions at the CIA. I want to apologize to Michael V. Kostiw, whom Goss has named to the number-three position in the agency, for implying that he’s a partisan hack. What I meant to call Kostiw was a petty thief:
Michael V. Kostiw, chosen by CIA Director Porter J. Goss to be the agency's new executive director, resigned under pressure from the CIA more than 20 years ago, according to past and current agency officials.
While Kostiw, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, longtime lobbyist for ChevronTexaco Corp. and more recently staff director of the terrorism subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has been through the CIA security vetting procedure, final clearance to take the job has not been completed pending review of the allegations. The job is the third-ranking post at the CIA.

In late 1981, after he had been a case officer for 10 years, Kostiw was caught shoplifting in Langley, sources said. During a subsequent CIA polygraph test, Kostiw's responses to questions about the incident led agency officials to place him on administrative leave for several weeks, according to four sources who were familiar with the past events but who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information.

Goss sure is showing spectacular, confidence-inspiring judgment in these early decisions. Just wait until he gets to make the really momentous decisions pertaining to the whole-scale restructuring of America’s intelligence community.
--Sam Rosenfeld