Air Force General and President Bush's current nominee to head up the CIA Michael Hayden has been facing law makes on Capitol Hill the past few days. To no ones surprise, several congressional leaders have voiced concerns over Hayden's nomination. I'm not saying that I am 100% in support of the nomination, but I'm certainly willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Granted the majority of the issues stem from plain political rhetoric but I can' t in my right mind question his ability or potential to do this job. Hayden is the former director of the National Security Agency and as mentioned above a well respected General in the United States Air Force.
One of the issues that Hayden has been heavily criticized on was his support for the eavesdropping program. Certainly that is a hot button issue at the moment, and one that he needs to address, but I hardly find it fair to rake him over the coals for it... Yet that is politics.
His critics have not been all from the democratic side of the aisle. Republicans have been voicing concerns as well. Some of that conern has come from his nomination of former CIA official Stephen Kappes as his Deputy. Kappes made headlines when he resigend in a protest over differences with than CIA head Porter Goss. Again Kappes has experience to back up the faith that Hayden has shown in him. I feel that giving both of them the benefit of the doubt is the only viable option.
The Washington Post had an article on this in today's paper talking about how many were concerned about Hayden being a military man, and that he wouldn't be able to stand up to the President. Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski worried that Hayden would sucumb to the "gaga factor" when dealing the the President and questioned would he be "a 'yes sir,' Mr. slam-dunk rather than speaking truth to power?" I can see those concerns, but I think that General Hayden has a mind of his own, and will do what is best for his job, not his political well being. Furthermore I think having a military man as head of the CIA will be a good change. This is only the second time since the Truman administration that a military leader has become head of the CIA, and I welcome the change. I hope that Hayden can restore some much needed confidence back into the Central Intelligence Agency.