By picking a loyal GOP lawmaker to head the CIA, President Bush tried to reassert himself on an issue where he has been losing ground -- but did so at the cost of inviting Democratic accusations he is politicizing intelligence.
Aides had said six weeks ago that Bush was on the brink of naming Rep. Porter J. Goss of Florida to replace George J. Tenet, who left office a month ago today. Democratic senators, in unusually tough statements about a fellow lawmaker, warned that Goss would be an unacceptable choice because of what they described as his partisanship. Even some Republican senators said the confirmation battle would not be worth it.
Bush nominated him anyway.
Administration officials said the White House calculated that the president could not lose: Democrats would either cave when faced with a fight, or Bush could accuse them of obstructing CIA stability at a time when the nation is under threat of a terrorist attack.
Republican officials said the White House is also worried by polls showing erosion in Bush's image as commander in chief after Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) endorsed, more than a week before Bush, a reorganization of the intelligence services recommended by the commission investigating the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
A Republican political operative, who requested anonymity because of participation in the party's regular conference calls, said the president turned back to Goss because "poll data showed Kerry had closed the gap with Bush on handling of terrorism and was slightly ahead as fit to be commander in chief." The operative also said polls showed the president's embrace of the commission's suggestion for a new intelligence director "was not understood by the public." Goss had to be named "to show Bush was moving ahead."
Officials in both parties said Bush's calculations about the outcome of the confirmation process are likely to prove correct. Senate Democrats said they would not fall into a trap like the one Bush set before the midterm elections of 2002, when he used his opponents' objections to his version of a Department of Homeland Security to paint them as soft on defense.
Indeed, Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, a former member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, reacted cautiously to Bush's announcement.
"I believe we must have fair, bipartisan and expeditious confirmation hearings on the nomination of Porter Goss to run the CIA," he said in a statement. "But the most important position is one that hasn't been created yet, National Intelligence Director with real control of budgets and personnel. We need to move urgently on this and other recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to make America safer. . . . I hope that Congressman Goss shares this view and will now support the creation of this important post."
Even while predicting Goss would be confirmed, Democrats said they will use his hearings for a lengthy airing of what they consider the Bush administration's intelligence mistakes.
