"As Glenn Greenwald notes, here were some responses to putting a military leader in charge of the civilian spy agency:
"Diane Feinstein: 'You can't have the military control most of the major aspects of intelligence. The CIA is a civilian agency and is meant to be a civilian agency.'
"The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee was reported to have said that 'She hears concerns from civilian CIA professionals about whether the Defense Department is taking over intelligence operations' and 'shares those concerns.'
"Nancy Pelosi: 'I don't see how you have a four-star general heading up the CIA.'
"And a leading Democratic Senator 'worried that the CIA, with a General in charge, will 'just be gobbled up by the Defense Department.'
"Even Pete Hoekstra, who now chairs the House Intelligence Committee, 'voiced the same concern...: 'We should not have a military person leading a civilian agency at this time.'
"Of course, all of this took place when Bush appointed General Michael Hayden to head the CIA. That top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee was Jane Harman, who now is retired. Pelosi was Speaker of the House. The leading Democratic Senator was a guy named Joe Biden. One guesses the reactions will be different this time. Things change."
Lewis goes on to criticize President Obama for the following decisions:
- Not to prosecute Bush era torturers.
- To immunize telecommunications companies from lawsuits arising from their participating in Bush era domestic spying.
- To extend state secrecy.
- To defend the right to use warrantless wiretaps.
- To continue renditions.
- Not to pressure the Senate to shut down Guantánamo:
- Not to shut down at least one secret torture facility.
- To continue indefinite detentions without due process of suspected terrorists.
- To excuse the abuse of Bradley Manning.
- Allowing the people who lied us into the Iraq War and established a torture regime to get away with it. All of it.
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