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And who thinks being a congressman is qualification for anything?

Since "the buzz" this morning is "Hayden has ties to the military", I'd just like someone, anyone to ask what is the success rate of politicians who have lead the CIA has been in the past?

Here's the total list of CIA directors.

Rear Adm. Sidney Souers, USNR January 23, 1946 - June 10, 1946
Lt. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, USA June 10, 1946 - May 1, 1947
Rear Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, USN May 1, 1947 - October 7, 1950
Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, USA October 7, 1950 - February 9, 1953
Allen W. Dulles February 26, 1953 - November 29, 1961
John McCone November 29, 1961 - April 28, 1965
Vice Adm. William Raborn, USN (Ret.) April 28, 1965 - June 30, 1966
Richard M. Helms June 30, 1966 - February 2, 1973
James R. Schlesinger February 2, 1973 - July 2, 1973
William E. Colby September 4, 1973 - January 30, 1976
George H. W. Bush January 30, 1976 - January 20, 1977
Adm. Stansfield Turner, USN (Ret.) March 9, 1977 - January 20, 1981
William J. Casey January 28, 1981 - January 29, 1987
William H. Webster May 26, 1987 - August 31, 1991
Robert M. Gates November 6, 1991 - January 20, 1993
R. James Woolsey February 5, 1993 - January 10, 1995
John M. Deutch May 10, 1995 - December 15, 1996
George J. Tenet July 11, 1997 - July 11, 2004
Porter J. Goss September 24, 2004 - May 5, 2006

Admiral, Admiral, Admiral, General. Jeez, its almost like I see a pattern here....

George Tenet? Allen Dulles? Robert Gates and Webster? Woolsey? What do they share besides being civilians?

Gates and Webster: Failed to detect or exploit the fall of the Berlin wall,the "Fall of Communism" or China's "Tienanmen square".

Dulles: Cuba and Iran. Yeah, that worked out swell.

Tenet: 9/11. India and Pakistan join "nuclear club".

Need I say more?

Besides the fact that #2 man at the CIA today IS an Admiral. Jackasses.

Somedays I think I'm living in a "scrappleface" post.

( Oh, and its my guess that President Bush actually welcomes hearings on the NSA program that will result now that Hayden is the candidate, if only to shut up the chattering nabobs in Congress...)

Posted @ May 08, 2006 09:50 AM | Current Affairs

Comments

Exactly! Sic them nattering nabobs too!

Posted by: Dennis at May 8, 2006 11:33 AM

my guess that President Bush actually welcomes hearings on the NSA program that will result now that Hayden is the candidate, if only to shut up the chattering nabobs in Congress.

That's what I said yesterday.

Posted by: Juliette at May 8, 2006 01:30 PM

Wasn't it Stansfield Turner that really began the CIA's slide into a hysterical, blattering mob?

Posted by: Sharpshooter at May 19, 2006 09:16 AM