CIA boss in surprise resignation ~ Mr Goss said: "I believe the agency is on a very even keel,....

BBC ^ | Friday, 5 May 2006, 18:45 GMT 19:45 UK | staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

CIA boss in surprise resignation

Porter Goss's resignation surprised friends and pundits alike

US President George Bush has unexpectedly announced that the head of the CIA, Porter Goss, is stepping down.

No reason was given for the move. Mr Goss has served in the role for less than two years, since being chosen by Mr Bush to replace George Tenet.

He was given the job of reforming the agency after a series of intelligence failures, particularly in relation to the 11 September attacks.

Mr Bush said Mr Goss had "a tough job and he led ably".

Mr Goss said: "I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well, and I honestly believe that we have improved dramatically."

He praised the president for giving him the "latitude" to reform the intelligence service.

"I honestly can report to you, sir, that we are safer for your efforts," he said.

Discontent

The BBC's correspondent in Washington, Justin Webb, says the announcement came as a bolt from the blue.

While there have been several changes at the top of the Bush administration recently, and more are expected, Mr Goss's name was never mentioned.

Friends of the former Republican congressman said they were hugely surprised.

There has been speculation that Mr Goss was not happy with the reduced access to the president he was afforded after the appointment of John Negroponte to oversee the work of all the intelligence agencies, our correspondent adds.

When he took the job he used to present the president with a daily intelligence briefing, but that task has since been taken away.

However there have also been rumblings of discontent at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Several high-level CIA staff have resigned recently.

[ScaniaBoy]

I agree, it looks bad, but what about the last paragraph:

However there have also been rumblings of discontent at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Several high-level CIA staff have resigned recently.

Has he been able to clean house - much more than has been related by the media? If that's so things would look much brighter. Any ideas?

[soupcon]

Looks like it's Goss' hand-picked #3 man at the CIA, Dusty Foggo, who is in the crosshairs. Goss probably wants to avoid the shrapnel, which will be overwhelming.

[browardchad]

CIA needs to be dismantled....

I believe leak central is going down. The only question in my mind is whether that will be with a bang, or a whimper.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I don't have any ideas what happens next, but there sure is a lot of crapola in the CIA staff....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just saw Novk on John Gibson's show, Foxnews, and he said this is all very sudden and the administration is not yet giving us the real story...thought Goss was doing a good job and also there is a lot of crazy stuff on the internet ....but is hot on the trail...so standby...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Novak....not Novk...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #45.

[Annie5622]

Maybe it's so sudden because Goss doesn't leak info, and certainly wouldn't have to Novak? just my thoughts.

[Purrcival]

Link?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

First part of the Brit Hume Special Report had a clip of Sen Feinstein in what I thought was a shot at Goss....mayube the DemonicRats put Bush in a head lock and said Goss has to go.,....wildly speculating now.....

[Owen]

Funny how people forget that these folks running these agencies are old. They get sick. When it happens, one seldom talks about it when one departs.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Google turned up the unsavory rumor but also had this...... rumors are flying that Goss is headed for a Senate run....

Now I like that rumor....that makes sense to me....

[PISANO]

Not one for rumors but John Gibson was just saying he thinks some lefty at the agency dug up some dirt on him otherwise this would not have happened.

Who knows? It is very dissappointing, he was doing a great job IMHO.

[longtermmemmory]

It would not surprise me.

It seems the end of this administration is rife with the bureacrats who are blindly loyal to the left wing are working overtime to hurt america.

You-know-who-was-right after all.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The very latest buzz is that Goss may run against Katherine Harris in the Republican primary for a seat in the U.S. Senate, according to the St. Petersburg Times' blog. "Given his rocky tenure at the CIA that seems hard to swallow," writes Adam C. Smith, but then:

"He'd be an awesome candidate," CFO candidate Tom Gallagher said when asked about the Goss for senate talk. When we suggested Goss' CIA experience might explain why this would be the best kept political secret in Florida, Gallagher didn't miss a beat: "That would be about the only secret they kept."

(DailyKos, TPM, Harper's, The Buzz)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Senator Goss

***************************************

Friday, May 05, 2006

Senator Goss

As if we needed any more rumors in the Katherine Harris soap opera. The surprise resignation of CIA chief Porter Goss has my BlackBerry humming with wild speculation about him jumping into the U.S. Senate race. Given his rocky tenure at the CIA that seems hard to swallow but....

"He'd be an awesome candidate,'' CFO candidate Tom Gallagher said when asked about the Goss for Senate talk. When we suggested Goss' CIA experience might explain why this would be the best-kept political secret in Florida, Gallagher didn't miss a beat: "That would be about the only secret they kept."

Meanwhile, here's more fodder for the Senate race speculation: President Bush will be in Florida Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Katherine Harris' campaign says she accepted the White House's invitation to join him at Sun City Tuesday. A spokesman for Allan Bense says the speaker learned of the president's visit from the press and that he has no plans to join the president.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See post # 56 for a political reason for resignation.

[Rome2000]

Goss would certainly be more electable that Harris, the concept here is to UNSEAT BILL NELSON.

Sorry if reality hurts but Harris is doing nothing more that helping a bunch of socialist crooks hold onto a US Senate seat in Florida.

That being said, bush had beter come up with a doozy to head CIA given his inexcusable decison to let KLINTOON appointees not only remain employed but be in charge of the CIA.

I'm sure OSAMA BIN LADEN was happy about W's decison to let Bill Clintons CIA director remain on the unending government payroll.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now we have this from CNN:

McLaughlin: Goss had 'rocky start'

**************************AN EXCERPT *************************************

'Challenges were particularly difficult' during ex-CIA boss' tenure

Friday, May 5, 2006 Posted: 2112 GMT (0512 HKT)

Former acting CIA Director John McLaughlin

WATCH

(2:38)

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Central Intelligence Agency Director Porter Goss has resigned, President Bush said Friday. No reason was given for Goss' resignation.

Shortly after the announcement, CNN anchor Tony Harris spoke with John McLaughlin, who was acting CIA director when Goss took over the post in 2004.

HARRIS: Are you surprised by this announcement?

MCLAUGHLIN: I am a little surprised in the sense that I don't think there was any indication that this was coming.

HARRIS: ... What do you think is behind this? We've heard everything from perhaps he was just a little disgruntled, a little disappointed that he didn't get the director of national intelligence job.

MCLAUGHLIN: ... I don't know what's behind it. What I would say is this: Porter Goss came in at a very difficult time in the agency's history.

Not only was the agency accused, I think unfairly in many cases, of various mistakes and failings at the time of his arrival but, in addition, he came in at a time when a whole new structure had been created to manage the intelligence community, and the CIA in the process, of course, had to step back from some of the leadership responsibilities that it had traditionally exercised.

So I think Porter Goss came in at a time when the challenges were particularly difficult, hard to overcome, and when the agency was struggling to regain its balance and the traditional elan than it has had over the years.

And I have no clue as to exactly why Porter Goss decided to step down at this moment. But sometimes a gargantuan, huge job like that takes its toll. ...

[Kenny Bunkport]

This might explain why some (J.C. Watts comes to mind) retire from Congress at a fairly young age -- maybe the truly good ones realize they can't change things, and decide to move on.