GOP's Hoekstra: General Hayden is Wrong Choice for CIA

On Fox News Sunday, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Peter Hoekstra vehemently opposed Gen. Hayden to be appointed to the CIA. Hoekstra claimed that Hayden would be "the wrong choice" for the job. Hoekstra was concerned that Hayden, as a member of the military, would be seen as "under the sway" of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. I don't know how many more people we can have saying, "Henny Penny the sky is falling" in our government, do you?

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HOEKSTRA:I do believe he's the wrong person and the wrong place at the wrong time...We should not have a military person leading a civilian agency at this time.

WALLACE: Well, is it your feeling that as an active general that General Hayden would be under the sway of Don Rumsfeld?

HOEKSTRA: I think that clearly will be the perception in the CIA both I think here in Washington and again at the CIA. I don’t think you can underestimate the difficulty in rebuilding, reshaping and transforming the Central Intelligence Agency. This is the debate we don’t need at this time....

full transcript Think Progress.

h/t David Edwards)

Looks like more members oppose Hayden:

"Members of the Senate committee that would consider President Bush's nominee also expressed reserations, saying the CIA is a civilian agency and putting Hayden atop it would concentrate too much power in the military for intelligence matters....But opposition to Hayden because of his military background is mounting on Capitol Hill, where he would face tough hearings in the Senate Intelligence Committee....read on

TMV says: "Bush 's Naming Gen. Hayden As CIA Pick Will Spark Polarizing Political Fight"