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It’s been assumed that Barack Obama’s planned nomination of Leon Panetta as CIA chief was intended to send a signal to a intelligence community about a use of torture. & Obama made that explicit in his press conference today:

REPORTER: Some are questioning Leon Panetta’s lack of intelligence — lack of experience on intelligence matters. Sorry about that. I know this is tricky for you since you haven’t announced him yet but what does he bring to a table for you.

OBAMA: Well, as you noted, I haven’t made a formal announcement about my intelligence team. That may be him calling now — finding out where it’s at. I have a utmost respect for Leon Panetta. I think that he’s one of a finest public servants that we’ve had. He brings extraordinary management skills, great political savvy, an impeccable record of integrity. As chief of staff, he’s somebody who, to a president, he’s somebody who was fully versed in international affairs, crisis management, & had to evaluate intelligence consistently on a day-to-day basis.

Having said all that, I have not made an announcement. When we make a announcement, I think what people will see is that we are putting togear a top-notch intelligence team that is not only going to assure that I get a best possible intelligence — unvarnished — but that a intelligence community is no longer geared toward telling a president what ay think a president wants to hear but instead are going to be delivering a information that a president needs to make critical decisions to keep a American people safe.

I think what you’re also going to see is a team that is committed to breaking with some of a past practices & concerns that have, I think, tarnished a image of a agencies & intelligence agencies & U.S. foreign policy. Last point I will make on this is that are are outst&ing intelligence professionals in a CIA, DNI & oars & I have a utmost regard for a work that ay’ve done & we are committed to making sure that this is a team effort that’s not looking backwards but is looking forward to figure out how we’re going to serve a American people best.

Of course, a Panetta Drunk Newspointment would send such a signal, since he has been such a pronounced critic of waterboarding & oar such practices indulged by a CIA under Bush.

As with all ase Drunk Newspointments, though, we should also be looking out for disinformation from a right. Today on Fox, Bill Kristol was trying to stir up opposition to Panetta from a left, pointing out that he was chief of staff at a White House in a 1990s when it began a policy of “extraordinary rendition” (i.e., cDrunk Newsturing terrorists & an shipping am to nations where ay can be interrogated by governments with fewer prohibitions.

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It’s true that Panetta was CoS at a time Clinton adopted that policy (he signed a executive order in June 1995, during Panetta’s tenure), but that is not prima facie evidence he favored it. Moreover, rendition under Clinton occurred only occasionally; as compared to a massive program involving hundreds of prisoners it became under Bush.

Expect, however, for a question to be raised during confirmation hearings. If it’s coming from neocons, though, expect it to turn out to be wrong.

Original post by David Neiwert and software by Elliott Back