Loss of individuals at the top

[Jr_Bullit]

Over the past few days I've read about various resignations going on at the top - pretty standard when a new administration begins....

This morning I read about Colin Powell submitting his resignation (NYTimes - front page)

Over the weekend I read about 4 top CIA officials resigning

What do you guys think of these folks leaving the ship that just got reelected?

[Skookum]

The only person responsible to save your character, sanity, and soul is yourself.
Being a moderate in that administration for his job would have sucked. Trying to sell crap to other countries like it was roses is a difficult task. But he did his job well to me ,i gave the administration the benefit of the doubt trusting his words when there was talk of wmd's in Iraq.

[Slugman]

What do you guys think of these folks leaving the ship that just got reelected?
B/c they are smarter than 51% of the US...

[Jr_Bullit]

I tend to agree as well - and as for Gen. Powell, I'm personally pleased and sorry (simultaneously) to see him leave the administration - as he is one of the individuals who's leadership and experience is on a level above the rest. Unfortunately, I also think that he was one of the best parts of the administration.

What do the conservatives, die-hard repubs think of his leaving? Do you believe there is someone better to take his place? What about the 4 CIA guys?

[narlus]

powell'ss leaving was a given, i think. he got jobbed.

[biggins]

didnt rumsfeld leave as well? i think they all got tired of being the scapegoat for the bush administration is what hapened. as for powell he is just gonna take a break before he runs for president.

[-BB-]

didnt rumsfeld leave as well? i think they all got tired of being the scapegoat for the bush administration is what hapened. as for powell he is just gonna take a break before he runs for president.


Except Rummy...
He WAS the bush administration.
BUSH can't think for himself, DUH?
;)

[biggins]

Except Rummy...
He WAS the bush administration.
BUSH can't think for himself, DUH?
;)


where do ya think cheney comes into the situation..........geez, friggin newbie

[JRogers]

powell'ss leaving was a given, i think. he got jobbed.

Word. Powell was gone months ago. He was valuable as a moderate voice in the administration and has widespread appeal to Democrats, Republicans, whites and minorities. They couldn't just fire him, as it would have been too noisy and unpopular. Still, he was a lame duck for the last while.

[I Are Baboon]

Now Tom Ridge has resigned. What the hell is going on with this cabinet!?

[N8]

This isn't anything new... Clinton had to replace something like 9(?) cabinet members for his 2nd term... Nixon replaced his entire cabinet...

[Damn True]

None of this is a surprise. It is traditional for cabinet members of a re-elected POTUS to submit a resignation and the POTUS then accepts those of the folks he wishes to replace.

[Slugman]

This isn't anything new... Clinton had to replace something like 9(?) cabinet members for his 2nd term... Nixon replaced his entire cabinet...

Why is it always about Clinton with you? Nixon replaced 8, which was cited as the 'highest" in the range from the article below...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=adNySj7iYidQ&refer=top_world_news
Since World War II, the number of Cabinet positions that changed near the start of a president's second term range from three under Dwight Eisenhower, to eight under Richard Nixon and seven under Ronald Reagan, Charles O. Jones, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution said.

[N8]

Why is it always about Clinton with you? Nixon replaced 8, which was cited as the 'highest" in the range from the article below...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=adNySj7iYidQ&refer=top_world_news

It was part of a report about the topic I heard on NPR... I couldn't remember the number but Clinton was mentioned.

[Jr_Bullit]

Alright, but what about all the CIA officials leaving..that does seem odd that a chunk of senior CIA guys are all leaving.

[N8]

Alright, but what about all the CIA officials leaving..that does seem odd that a chunk of senior CIA guys are all leaving.


Well with all the CIA failures of late I think that it isn't such a bad thing actually.

[BurlyShirley]

I thought the CIA was full of liberal hearted ninnies.

[DRB]

Alright, but what about all the CIA officials leaving..that does seem odd that a chunk of senior CIA guys are all leaving.

It really has nothing to do with the election but the new Director of the CIA Porter Goss. He was big part of the 9-11 investigations and the call for massive reform at the CIA. He has been critical of the agency, saying it has “ignored its core mission” and is in “dysfunctional denial of any need for corrective action.” He as said numerous times that the human intelligence assets available to the CIA are laughable, so it is not strange that the first people he comes into conflict with are the top folks in Operations.

Goss was a CIA employee in the 60's and early 70's, working a great deal with Cuban exiles in Miami. He started soon after the Bay of Pigs.

[TheInedibleHulk]

"Condoleezza Rice, thats two E's, two Z's, zero dimplomatic skills"

- Jon Stewart