Nor do I. I don't think the fact that Poppy recommended him means he doesn't have an agenda that is not in our best interests (i.e. an unusual affinity for the Saudis), but I do think it means he is more than an incompetent hack. Poppy knows the spook business, and I tend to doubt he would strongly commend an incompetent partisan Dem to W.Again, my main problem with Poppy is his, as you put it, his unusual affinity for the Saudis -- and I think that sometimes overrides the GOP-'rat thing with him.
The answer is: The Torricelli Principle.