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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., did little to tamp down speculation that he's under consideration to become the next CIA director, saying he could neither confirm nor deny conversations with the Obama administration about the vacant position.
Speaking Tuesday on WJR radio in Detroit, Rogers, a former FBI agent who's helmed the intelligence panel for the past two years, acknowledged that his name has been among those in public discussion to replace David Petraeus as leader of the CIA. But he said he hd "every expectation" he would continue to serve as Intelligence Committee chairman.
A New York Times report following Petraeus's resignation in an adultery scandal named Rogers — along with deputy CIA Director Michael Morrell, Obama counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan and former National Counterterrorism Center Director Michael Leiter — as potential picks to helm the CIA.
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Obama has shown a willingness during his first term to name Republicans to top security roles. For instance, he continued to involve Petraeus — a GOP favorite whose tenure begun under President George W. Bush — in security efforts, and kept Robert Gates as his defense secretary until mid-2011.
What follows is a lightly edited transcript of relevant portions of Rogers's conversation Tuesday with WJR host Paul W. Smith:
Paul W. Smith: If you don't want the job, you can say so here and now, but it seems like you'd be a perfect fit for that kind of position, with your background.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R): Certainly, that name has been bandied about. They're going through a process now for that position. I have every expectation I will be the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which is a great job, it's where I want to be, and it's the kind of worth that I think is important for the country.
[…]
Smith: Have you had any conversation that you can share with us, without getting into the details, regarding the position of director of the CIA with people who could be involved in that kind of decision-making process?
Rogers: I would not be able to confirm nor deny any discussions on the process they may be going through on the CIA director. I can tell you I have every expectation that I will be the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in January.
[…]
Smith: Anything else, Mr. Director — I mean, congressman — that we need to talk about?
Rogers (laughing): It's going to be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a role that I'm honored and proud to serve in. And there's just a ton of work we're going to have to do in the next year.
Smith: That doesn't mean you wouldn't accept the position, should it be offered.
Rogers: A) I doubt that's likely to happen, and B) I think it's important to have somebody that can walk in the office and sit down and have a level of trust.
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Pah! "GOP and Intelligence" in the same sentence is an oxymoron.
You got that right!
If we have a republican in the office; Anyone white is ok. Anyone who is against abortion gets a free pass. Anyone who goes to church gets extra freedoms! Anyone who believes in equal rights should be taken out and shot should get the highest honors! And for heaven sake, don't be gay (at least openly)!
Obama is a Republican so don't be surprised that he names other Republicans to top posts. You'll see what I mean when it comes time to do the Supreme Court thing, so many delusional liberals think he's going to appoint leftish, liberal, minority respecting candidates. He's going to appoint straight GOP cronies and the delusional liberals who voted for Obama will applaud it.
This is why I voted third party. Four years was plenty to judge Obama on, and he was nothing, but another Dubya just dressed up in different clothing, with a different label. Inside they are exactly the same though, as are the fools who vote for them.
Obama really is more right than left Dan and many liberals realize this. He is, however, at least reasonably centrist, the lesser of two evils by far. Romney is nothing but a plutocrat, and neo-con, puppet. Also, the new radical extremist republicans do still hold enough power to block legislation, so their extremism must be catered to. These righties who try to claim Obama is some sort of extreme left-winger are completely out of touch with reality. These clowns don't understand the first thing about the politics of their own country. What America needs is a real liberal like Bernie Sanders to oppose the conservative Obama. Most of the current republicans should be thrown out of office at the very least, jailed for their treasonous obstruction is more like it. They INTENTIONALLY sabotaged the economic recovery, as any fool can see.
America needs a CIA director that we can trust.
Current Republicans have demonstrated that they simply aren't up to the job.
Remember, Jesse Jr. is now available. Most of you clowns on here would ok him.
"GOP" and "intelligence" just do not work together. LOL
No military, Republican or scull bones members like Kerry ever
Perhaps the CIA should look to the drug cartels for fresh leadership.
They are very good at killing people (like the CIA), they don't dip their pens in the company ink (like Patraeus) and they like to move the white powder, just like the CIA.
If anyone feels like disagreeing, please tell me one place that the CIA operated that did not be come a drug production center. Thailand? Cambodia? Laos? Afghanistan? These areas were not drug production centers until the CIA started operating there. Heroin out. Guns and money in. No oversight. How much better could it possibly get? You even get your own airline!
In 2007, 92% of the non-pharmaceutical-grade opiates on the world market originated in Afghanistan.[2] This amounts to an export value of about $4 billion, with a quarter being earned by opium farmers and the rest going to district officials, insurgents, warlords, and drug traffickers.[3] In the seven years (1994–2000) prior to a Taliban opium ban, the Afghan farmers' share of gross income from opium was divided among 200,000 families.[4] In addition to opiates, Afghanistan is also the largest producer of cannabis (mostly as hashish) in the world.[5][6]
Will someone PLEASE explain to me how the CIA and all of its cohorts can be at war in a country and it is possible for the drug production in the country to increase. Does anyone ever inspect the generals jets? Is that why they have such bad judgement? Is that why they can't win - they are too stoned on their product.
Is the true purpose of the US invasion of Afghanistan to increase drug production? If it is, and the facts show that it is, then it only makes sense to look to the true experts to run the show rather than distracted amateurs.
Rogers isn't a dummy to take an appointment that's prone to "bus accidents" under this administration when something like the Bebghazi Failure goes politically wrong. Sacrificial lambs are always in demand when this Prez lays an egg. Job security was never a given especially working under him.
GOP Intelligence Chairman? I didnt know that the GOP had any Intelligence. After seeing the likes of George Bush, Bachman, Palin, Mourdock, Aiken, West ant that nut case Governor from Texas, I know that the GOP has no Intelligence.
Mourdock the rapist.
Only a moron would vote for such a party of junk Americans as holding any value what-so-ever for America.
The Bush Administration has done alot to affect the trust worthiness of America.
With the recent Petraeus Scandal of whom Petraeus had many GOP friends. Who is too say that the GOP didn't instruct him to discount a possible attack in Benghazi just to use it as a political ploy to make Obama look bad and America fearful that if America didn't vote for Romney that further attacks could happen as a result of the "failed policies?"
With Jeb Bush thinking about running for office in 2016 and a GOP member thinking about becoming the CIA Director it should be mentioned that security for America will be lessened under such an administration.
Recently Jeb Bush made the comment "Lets wait and see."
Just like his brother George Bush Jr. who had intel about the 9.11.01 attacks but also chose to "Lets Wait and see." what will happen so their personal images would not be soiled by looking like the attacker but instead the victim 3000 plus died on 9.11.01 along with an additional 12,000 Americans and untold numbers of innocent Middle Easterners all for the notion of "Let's wait and see."
We are at war with a determined terrorist force in the Middle East as well as China in the market place.
Why don't we wait and see if they will attack when the Chinese roll up to an American embassy supported by Middle Eastern terrorists and Putin Russians.
Putting Republican and Intelligence in the same sentence is an oxymoron
A GOP "intelligence" chairman?? Talk about government waste! Shouldn't the GOP first develop some intelligence before wasting taxpayer money on a chairman of something that doesn't exist?
Wasn't it the GOP that founded the Department of Redundancy Division of the Redundancy Department?
That's the LAST thing we, the 99% American People, NEED! Keep the damn GOP (corrupt Republican corporate MONARCHY political puppets) out of ANYTHING IMPORTANT! Their ONLY CONCERN is their UNCONTROLLED CAPITALISTIC GREED of which there is NO END IN SIGHT!!
GOP intelligence chairman? Oxymoron much? I picture a Homer Simpson bubble thought image... Reminds me of the pandering putzes on the science committee who advocate for creationism and who believe a woman's body can stop a rape pregnancy. Don't forget these guys just because Obama won the election! Now is the time to expose all of them and rid our government of these creeps once and for all! How about a rating scale for pro-science congress critters like the NRA's [useless] scale? And perhaps another for jeebus zealots!
GOP and intelligence in the same sentence !!!!
Who would ever expect to see that happen ?
Rogers is the guy who changed the talking points, then he says he blames the Presid for changing them! What a scum bag!!
GOP Intelligence Chairman.
Not hard to find the oxymoron in that title.
No comment.