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Home Front: Politix

Negroponte leaving post, go to State

2007-01-04

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, will leave his post to take a senior position at the State Department, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. "He will leave to become Deputy Secretary of State," said a U.S. official who asked not to be identified.

The official said an official announcement is expected soon. But it was not clear how soon Negroponte would be able to leave his current position because there is no deputy standing ready to take over his responsibilities, the official said. Negroponte's office declined to comment.

Why would he give up a position as the Director to become a Deputy Secretary? Something doesn't add up.

Negroponte will become Deputy Secretary of State, the No. 2 position at the department after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The position was formerly held by Robert Zoellick, who announced his resignation in June to join leading investment bank Goldman Sachs. He had not yet been replaced.

NBC News, which earlier reported Negroponte's move to State, said Negroponte's likely successor as head of U.S. intelligence is retired Adm. Mike McConnell, director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996 under former President Bill Clinton. McConnell is now a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, the Washington contractor and consulting agency.

Negroponte was the first U.S. intelligence czar, filling a post created to bring all federal intelligence agencies under a single umbrella.

Posted by:Steve White

#18 State is far too fucked for any one or two people to fix. I don't know what this move is for, but it aunt to help State. Not this late in the game. No way.

Rumsfeld, Casey, Negropante.....

If I was going to make a list of the top guys influential to a war plan, these are the names.

I always thought the Rumsfeld ejection was more than political.
Now that he entire list is being shaken up, I have to wonder if we are going to get a new plan for a new war.

GW is quickly running out of time to smack Iran.

Posted by: Mike N. 2007-01-04 21:00

#17 Just Googled McConnell. He's a former head of NSA, which right there puts him a few steps up over Negroponte. Negroponte MAY be moving to State to clean up the mess their "intelligence bureau" is in. State's intelligence bureau hasn't been right on anything since the early 70's, and State has been very reluctant to let go of its resources. I can't make any guesses, educated or otherwise, about the move. Cheney's too good in the VP position to see him stepping down unless he really DOES have a debilitating medical problem.

Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-01-04 15:55

#16 Maybe some of all of the above: Dick resigns, Condi moves up to VP; this makes GWB impeach-proof due to the afore mentioned racists democrat comments, because..." we certainly cannot have a black woman as President......"
Or after Condi gets settled, GWB resigns, and then its the Condi show without any Donk help. And that gives her a platfrom from which to campaign.

Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-01-04 15:05

#15 "Something doesn't add up."

Just maybe this "is what it is". Rice and a dysfunctional DoS needs help and Negroponte is a man with a proven track record of not shying away from stompping on a few throats.

Posted by: DepotGuy 2007-01-04 12:52

#14 Spot -

#7 Sorry 'moose, but no matter what Condi does, she'll always be an "Uncle Thomasina" to the Left. Can't have a successful black woman be a Republican!

...You're right, but it sure will be fun watching heads explode on the left.

Mike

Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2007-01-04 11:24

#13 I suspect this has to do with Rice also. She definitely needs assistance at State. Whether she steps down, I doubt. But, effectively, much of the burden and decision making may be passed to Negroponte. This entire administration is a mess.

Posted by: SpecOp35 2007-01-04 11:08

#12 Condi would make a superb appointment Veep, and the republicans would be all in favor of it if she reiterated her stand that she does NOT want to run for office.

That way, plus the guarantee that she would not endorse a candidate until after the nomination, would make her everybody's friend.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of it would be how the racists in the democrat party would be incapable of hiding it any more. And each and every one of them who shot his mouth off would just cause convulsions.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-01-04 11:03

#11 verlaine - I was just speculating. Baker doesnt run anything, but its not clear he doesnt have influence. In any case which explanation do you think is likely?

As for neocon, while the term has been abused to the point of meaninglessness, it does still have some meaning I think. Even Irving Kristol once thought so.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2007-01-04 10:45

#10 Geez, LH, put down the NYT, switch off NPR, and remember that Baker doesn't run a damn thing besides his consulting business, his little joke of a commission has had no impact, and "neocon" is a meaningless moniker.

Posted by: Verlaine 2007-01-04 10:28

#9 Interesting points, LH. I'd add --

1) While the next GOP nominee indeed picks the VP with whom to run, a current VP Condi Rice would be hard to ignore, especially if she let it be known, very quietly, that she wanted to keep the job.

2) Condi is one of the most loyal GWB people; I simply can't see him firing her.

I don't have a good read on Negroponte so I can't figure this one out.

Posted by: Steve White 2007-01-04 10:15

#8 condi running for VEEP is up to the next GOP presidential candidate, NOT up to Bush. Since we dont know who that candidate will be, it seems unlikely to me that that is the explanation. Here are the ideas that occur to me.

1. Theyre about to fire Condi, not to kick her up to VEEP, but cause Baker et al are now running admin for policy, and want her out. This however is contradicted by the rumours Bush will approve the "surge" but maybe Baker compromised quietly on that.

2. Negroponte is seen as really messing up at intell, and was fired. Or perhaps the Baker thing has made "realists" person non grata in the admin, and Cheney and residual neocon support (McCain?) have pushed N out.

3. Negroponte determined that DNI really DIDNT have authority over CIA, etc, and that it wasnt worth holding onto - so this is not the step down it appears to be.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2007-01-04 10:00

#7 Sorry 'moose, but no matter what Condi does, she'll always be an "Uncle Thomasina" to the Left. Can't have a successful black woman be a Republican!

Posted by: Spot 2007-01-04 09:41

#6 Cross-fingers, this could be a preface to Dick Cheney retiring, supposedly for health reasons, so that Condi Rice can become Veep.

That one act alone would be a crown jewel of Presidential legacies, and not just with shattering effect in the US, but world-wide.

It would be a tremendous example to show beyond any doubt, that not just a woman, but a black woman, can achieve the most powerful position in the entire world.

Everywhere Rice would travel in the world, she would plant the seeds of a quiet revolt, both by women against domineering men; and by blacks against domineering other races. And by both against nations, religions, and cultures that try to keep them down.

In the US alone, the cultural shockwave would be incredible. Ambitious black girls would suddenly be faced with an untenable situation; their old paradigm of what they could achieve in their life would be shattered. The low ceilings of sports and Hollywood media culture would go out the window. Intellectualism would be the new key to advancement and success.

Well, there is a window of opportunity, and Rice is the only person who could perform that task. No other woman in the world can make such a definitive statement.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-01-04 09:21

#5 Will the new Senate confirm Negroponte's appointment to State? Since McConnell is a former Clinton man he should be confirmable. May even have access to some of those files ole Sandypants collected.

Posted by: Glenmore 2007-01-04 07:23

#4 When Ms. Rice goes on the campaign train, we'll need someone to replace her. Hence, the deputy.

Posted by: Skidmark 2007-01-04 04:10

#3 So what do we know about retired Adm. Mike McConnell?

Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-04 04:00

#2 I suspect Ponte was FIRED!

Posted by: Besoeker 2007-01-04 01:31

#1 Padding the ranks

Posted by: newc 2007-01-04 00:47

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