Panetta has planned a "coup" (in the early 1970s, he encouraged New York City to consider breaking away from the rest of the state), politicked as a congressman and brought order to President Bill Clinton's sprawling White House.
Despite his credibility with Beltway denizens, the longtime Washington insider had zero experience in the intelligence community, which made him a controversial choice for the nation's chief spymaster. In spring 2011, President Obama nominated him to replace departing Defense Secretary Robert Gates because of his experience as a budget-cutter. His confirmation will be helped by the May 2011 killing of al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.
The former California congressman and White House chief of staff was tapped by President Obama to serve as CIA director after Obama's first choice, John O. Brennan, had to withdraw from consideration because of his support for the CIA's controversial interrogation program during the George W. Bush administration. Obama later appointed Brennan as deputy national security adviser.
Panetta's nomination surprised many lawmakers and the intelligence community, which argued his lack of familiarity with intelligence issues would hurt the CIA. "I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told the New York Times. But Feinstein later backed Panetta for the job.
But fans say Panetta, who started his political life as a Republican, is a skilled manager who can work with both parties to get things done. He is widely credited with bringing order to a disorganized Clinton White House.
Panetta also has strong background in budgetary issues (he ran the Office of Management and Budget for a year under Clinton) and experience with foreign policy as a member of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission that developed a series of proposals for handling the Iraq war.
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