Janet liked 'em young.
Posted on 12/12/2004 8:21:48 AM PST by nanak
A woman described as "a close personal friend of [former] Attorney General Janet Reno" who also seved as Reno's "most trusted adviser" has become the media's favorite candidate to replace Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge, after Bernard Kerik withdrew his name from contention late Friday.
Frances Fragos Townsend currently serves as the White House's homeland security advisor. But Washington insiders marvel at her ability to survive the transition from the Clinton administration. "To many old Washington hands, the casting is stunning," reported U.S. News & World Report in early December.
"A registered Republican, Townsend, 42, is a holdover from the Clinton administration, where she served as Attorney General Janet Reno's trusted but controversial intelligence adviser."
U.S. News noted that the former Clintonista was "so controversial that Reno's replacement, John Ashcroft, dropped Townsend from the top intelligence job."
But now, said the magazine, "She's back in power--big time."
"There's this huge head scratch to the whole thing," a former Justice Department official in the Clinton administration said. "How can this crowd of people [at the Bush White House] who are all about, 'Oh, you've got to be a true believer,' let her into the fold and allow her to reach this incredible height?"
While Townsend has her fans in the Bush administration - most notably Deputy Attorney General James Comey, who dropped a Pardongate probe into Hillary Clinton in 2002 - she also has her detractors.
"She's one of the most ambitious people I've met," a former Bush administration official told the magazine. "She's always sucking up."
In 1998, at Attorney General Reno's request, Townsend became the head of the powerful Office of Intelligence Policy and Review.
According to U.S. News, Townsend found herself in the middle of that debate over the notorious intelligence-sharing "wall" erected by Reno's other trusted deputy, Jamie Gorelick.
"Many FBI agents say Townsend was crucial in obtaining FISA wiretaps, especially during the period of heightened terrorism concerns around the new millennium," said U.S. News.
"But many prosecutors felt that Townsend was less than helpful in making sure the FBI shared wiretap data with lawyers at Main Justice when there was evidence of criminal activity. . . Some Justice Department prosecutors felt Townsend wanted to keep the wall up because it kept prosecutors out of national security investigations, leaving more authority in the hands of Townsend and friendly bureau agents."
Both the Government Accountability Office and the 9/11 Commission blamed Townsend's agency in part for the government's intelligence failures before the 9/11 attacks.
Despite the mixed reviews, the former Clintonista has become a favorite with the press.
The New York Daily News, which has been sharply critical of Kerik, headlined a glowing profile of Townsend on Sunday, "For Her, Homeland Security Means Life & Death."
The press campaign on behalf of the former Reno aide has even drawn the attention of foreign reporters, with Agence France Press noting on Saturday, "According to US media, Bush may now turn to Frances Townsend, the White House homeland security adviser, as the next head of the department."
Someone, anyone, please tell me this is just a bad nightmare and that I'll wake-up soon, and it'll be gone.
Why in the name of hell aren't these lowlife criminal Klintoonistas G-O-N-E? At any cost?
Haven't these people done enough damamge to this Constitutional Republic?? Who was re elected Bush or Clinton?
The Dimms and the Republicans JUST WILL NOT HEAR the AMERICAN People, we have no place else to go for representation in Congress: Let's see, elections 2006,
Constitutional Party,
http://www.constitutionparty.com/
America First Party,
http://www.americafirstparty.org/
Independant American Party
http://www.usiap.org/
The American Party
http://www.theamericanparty.org/
Janet liked 'em young.
An image: 
Tom Tancredo for President 2008 = Our Last Hope to Save America
I remember this woman doing frequent interviews in September/October of this year before the election. She seemed to be a VERY avid supporter of the President and the administration, defending them against any attacks by the dems.
I didn't know anything about her background, but am surprised to hear that she was part of the Clinton administration. Never would have guessed!!
So far, I've heard two mentions:
This one and Lieberman.
Both are FOR illegal immigration except when the person is from Cuba.
Lord help us!
...and I can't believe our Conservative President singing praises of Bill Clintoon and Hitlery Bin-Rotten Al-Clintoooooon at the inauguration of Clintooooooooon library in Arkansas.
Check my post # 5
It's just NewsMax, stirring up the troops.
I bet she has a long tongue.
She's a sweetie!!
I was shocked at what I saw and heard. Reno really ticked me off with her cavalier attitude and her endless fencing off of information to Congress.
The evidence from investigators outside the government was compelling. Someone should be sitting in a prison cell for obstruction, at the least, or murder at the most. I'm not sure I want anyone who would work for that barbarian at the reigns of power.
...but when we have a liberal/globalist in the White House, what else we can expect?
President BUSH should wake of or there will be a big sea-change in our REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Our republic is tilting more and more towards the right, and our President ever since winning the election is turning to the left of TEDDY KENNEDY. I can't believe I voted for a CONSERVATIVE.
Please Check my post # 5
Oh, gimme a break.
Homeland Security Chief should be GEN Tommy Franks.
Click in and read as fast as I could to make sure it wasn't Jamie Gorelick!
The MSM also is pushing for Liebarman as homeland chief.
The LAST thing we need is a democrat as homeland chief. Especially one who is a friend of Hitlary. Remember Hitlary picked reno from a cadre of FL democrat party women.
I think this is the first time I've "intelligence" and "Janet Reno" used in the same sentence.
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