We have a new Director of Central Intelligence. Michael Hayden was confirmed 78-15 in the Senate. Some interesting votes: Specter actually voted against him. Jim Thune and Liddy Dole both abstained (for whatever reason).
Democrats running for President that voted against Hayden: Bayh, Feingold, Hillary, Dodd, Kerry.
Democrats running for President that voted for him: Biden.
Democrats not running for President that voted against him: Cantwell, Dayton, Dorgan, Durbin, Harkin, Kennedy, Menendez, Obama, Wyden.
And, significantly, Rockefeller, who chairs the intelligence committee did not bother to vote because he is in the hospital with a back injury. [Hat tip to Arminius].
(Below is the whole list, with Republicans voting yes deleted).
It looks to me like the Democrats are aware that Democratic primary voters take their civil liberties pretty seriously. Joe Biden never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity to make up to the netroots and grassroots of the party. No matter, he will be a total non-factor in the 2008 primaries.
I’m not terribly upset about Michael Hayden being DCI. I am much more concerned about curbing Bush’s abuse of power and having Congressional oversight of our intelligence activities. Feingold tried to force a showdown on that in a more appropriate setting than a confirmation hearing. That he didn’t win much support then from his colleagues was depressing. That his support online soared into the stratosphere was obviously noted by the other contenders to the party throne.
Our voice is being heard, even if we have precious little results yet to show for it.
Akaka (D-HI), Yea,
Baucus (D-MT), Yea,
Bayh (D-IN), Nay,
Biden (D-DE), Yea,
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea,
Boxer (D-CA), Not Voting,
Byrd (D-WV), Yea,
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay,
Carper (D-DE), Yea,
Clinton (D-NY), Nay,
Conrad (D-ND), Not Voting,
Dayton (D-MN), Nay,
Dodd (D-CT), Nay,
Dole (R-NC), Not Voting,
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay,
Durbin (D-IL), Nay,
Feingold (D-WI), Nay,
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea,
Harkin (D-IA), Nay,
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea,
Inouye (D-HI), Not Voting,
Jeffords (I-VT), Yea,
Johnson (D-SD), Yea,
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay,
Kerry (D-MA), Nay,
Kohl (D-WI), Yea,
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea,
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea,
Leahy (D-VT), Yea,
Levin (D-MI), Yea,
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea,
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea,
Menendez (D-NJ), Nay,
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea,
Murray (D-WA), Yea,
Nelson (D-FL), Yea,
Nelson (D-NE), Yea,
Obama (D-IL), Nay,
Pryor (D-AR), Yea,
Reed (D-RI), Yea,
Reid (D-NV), Yea,
Rockefeller (D-WV), Not Voting,
Salazar (D-CO), Not Voting,
Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea,
Schumer (D-NY), Yea,
Specter (R-PA), Nay,
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea,
Thune (R-SD), Not Voting,
Wyden (D-OR), Nay
OK, not a problem. I am not happy with Hayden’s NSA connections. He seemed reasonable during the hearings, and the job changes your views in some cases. We’ll see.
I find it very hard to get real mad about this
It’s not fair to say that Rockefeller “did not bother” to vote. He didn’t vote because he’s in the hospital with a back injury.
thank you. I forgot that and will correct it.
.
Without stepping foot on the Senate floor, Rockefeller has been able to stay fresh on intelligence matters and vouch support for mine safety legislation and CIA Director nominee Michael Hayden.
He can still vote in committees, make speeches on the floor via telephone and communicate with fellow lawmakers. The only thing he can’t do is actually vote on the Senate floor.
“I’m going to get well and get enough endurance to go do my work and do it well, but I can do a lot from home,” said Rockefeller, who was advised by doctors not to return until late June.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
I tend to agree with you, although I have to admit that I am not quite sure what to make of it. One the one hand, if the CIA was to start from scratch with a cleaner slate, Hayden is too tainted by the wiretap scandal and thus is surely not the best man to lead the agency forward, his got to much baggage. That said, Bush could have chosen a new politician close to him even further politicizing the CIA and let’s face it with this administration in office be sure that no man would be the right man for the job. I guess all we can do is to wait and see, unfortunately.
I would hope that Hayden will be quickly replaced in 2009, if not sooner. But, his lack of respect and understanding of the fourth amendment is a minor issue compared to Porter Goss’s immeasurable hackery.
Hayden also was promoted in spite of breaking the law, which is a big improvement of Bush’s normal modus operandi, which is to promote people and award the medals in spite of total incompetence.
Well, the fact that the man lead the NSA at the time when the wiretapping program started is certainly an issue that have to be dealt with at a later stage and the fact that the man kept on defending it when asked about it, shows a lack of both respect and understanding of the fourth amendment and thus the whole democratically process in the US. Ideally that is not a man fit to lead an organization with that kind of authorization.
When a government asks you to do something that, in your mind, clearly is in violation of the constitution and the rule of law you either resign or points the opposition/the Supreme court in the right direction. Still, usually the bureaucracy is not in any position to question the political leadership because they are not elected. They are there to execute the policies of the government, but when policies are in violation of the core principals of democracy something clearly has to be done and that is why we have the political opposition and the courts. Sadly neither seems to function very well in the US these days.
What I would like to know is how active Hayden was, as an advisor on National Security, in promoting the wiretap program and thus influencing the Presidents decision to instigate it.
Concerning Hayden’s continuation as DCIA, I think it is safe to say that he will be substituted quickly if the Democrats win the Presidency in November 2007. Still, you never know, if the guy is adaptable he can hold the chair for a long time, Tenent is one example.
Sorry, if the Democrats win the presidency in November 2008.
This vote is completely depressing and indicative of why i don’t consider myself a Democrat anymore.
Both of California’s Democratic Senators voted to confirm this man, for shame.
As usual, Russ Feingold leads, and rocks.
Actually Boxer didn’t vote. Do you know if she is in Washington today?
No, I don’t know where Boxer is.
There was a list of votes online earlier today and Boxer and Feinstein were both in the Yes group. I’d rather Boxer not vote at all than vote Yes to him.
So, maybe Senator Byrd should have re-read the Fourth Amendment in that little Constitution that he likes to wave around BEFORE he cast that “yea” vote.
Fuckers.
All kinds of weird results. Lautenberg is a suprising yes. Murray and Cantwell seem to be a flip of what I’d expect. Bayh’s no is out of nowhere. It doesn’t surprise me that the Maryland Senators voted yes, since they know Hayden well and have close ties to the intel community. Specter’s vote is a surprise.
What’s clear is that Dems that are up for election or want to run for higher office were inclined to vote no, while all other Dems were inclined to vote yes.
Evan has evidently decided to blow in the voters’ left ears for awhile;o)