Another Disaster

As you've probably heard, CIA Director Porter Goss resigned today. There's a lot of debate over why, perhaps best summarized in Kevin Drum's roundup at The Washington Monthly. Whatever the cause, this is another of the disasters that we've come to expect from the Bush administration.

Goss was CIA director for less than two years. His appointment was rightly criticized for putting a political partisan in what was then the nation's most powerful intelligence position (since eclipsed by the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte). When he arrived at Langley, Goss brought along a bunch of political operatives from the Republican congressional staff--a bad sign at an agency that, more than any other, should be apolitical. Then Goss and his people started pushing Agency veterans out, causing morale to sink like a holed submarine. All this at a time when we are struggling with the diffusion of threats in the "War on Terror."

Having done a great deal of damage, Goss is leaving before he could demonstrate whether he was able to put the pieces back together. Now the nation will face either (a) a prolonged period of time when our premier intelligence-analysis agency (the NSA gathers much more information) is headed by a caretaker or (b) a rushed appointment to fill the post, making it even less likely than usual with this administration that the nominee will be a person of real skill and acumen.

Making matters worse, Goss' number 3, Kyle "Dusty" Foggo (no, I'm not making that name up) has been implicated in the widening waves from the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal. As has been widely reported, for years Cunningham pal Brent Wilkes (who, surprisingly, has not yet been indicted) held parties at which congressional aides and congressmen were treated to liquor, poker and even hookers. Some sources have claimed that Goss himself was a guest. He denied it, angrily. Foggo, however, has admitted his presence, although he has denied seeing any prostitutes at the festivities. Maybe he closed his eyes.

As Oliver Hardy would say, "This is a fine mess you've gotten us into."