Posted on 08/16/2004 12:07:55 PM PDT by Paz Duravel
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush, in an apparent reversal, has decided that the new national intelligence director recommended by the Sept. 11 Commission should have the budgetary and hire-fire authority that the commission wanted, one of the ten commissioners told United Press International.
"I have very good reason to believe that is what the president intends," John Lehman, the Reagan-era Navy secretary said Sunday, confirming reports from a handful of journalists briefed Friday by a senior White House official. Lehman declined to elaborate on his reasons.
The question of what powers the new director should have lies at the heart of the most politically explosive element of the commission's proposals for a radical restructuring of the 15 agencies that make up the nation's so-called intelligence community.
Currently, the head of the CIA, formally referred to as the director of central intelligence, is responsible for coordinating the activities of all 15 agencies, but critics argue that the post lacks the necessary authority -- particularly over the eight agencies that are located inside the Department of Defense that spend more than three-quarters of the $40 billion U.S. intelligence budget.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
The press is working hard to manufacture flip-flops to show that JFK isn't the only one to change positions.
This is a new one on me. I thought the only difference Bush wanted between the 9-11 commision and himself was to not make it a cabinet level position, yet still maintain the powers the 9-11 commision wanted, I see no flip flopping.
Why not? Their "Bush Lied" campaign has been a huge success - and has completely obscured the public's once clear perception of Democrat Bill Clinton as the greatest liar in American political history.
Well, the main-stream media will be glad to educate you. Obviously you have been brainwashed by conservative talk-show radio.
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