Bush Cia "I'm Not Qualified"

[antiklaus]

August 11th, 2004 7:01 pm
Filmmaker Moore Quotes Goss on Lack of CIA Credentials

By David Morgan / Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Congressman Porter Goss, President Bush's nominee for CIA director, could be his own worst enemy when it comes to making the case that he deserves to lead the U.S. intelligence agency.

"I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified," the Florida Republican told documentary-maker Michael Moore's production company during the filming of the anti-Bush movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."

A day after Bush picked Goss for the top U.S. spy job, Moore on Wednesday released an excerpt from a March 3 interview in which the 65-year-old former House of Representatives intelligence chief recounts his lack of qualifications for employment as a modern CIA staffer.

"I don't have the language skills. I, you know, my language skills were romance languages and stuff. We're looking for Arabists today. I don't have the cultural background probably," Goss is quoted in an interview transcript.

"And I certainly don't have the technical skills, uh, as my children remind me every day: 'Dad you got to get better on your computer.' Uh, so, the things that you need to have, I don't have."

Goss, who served with the CIA clandestine services in Latin America and Europe in the 1960s, was not immediately available for comment.

He appears in Moore's film, the most financially successful documentary in history, during a segment devoted to the USA Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism measure.

Moore told Reuters that Goss, who until Tuesday was chairman of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, granted an interview to two of his producers without first checking to see who they worked for.

"You'd think the person who was the head of the intelligence committee would ask a few more questions," said Moore.

"The reality is that Porter Goss was in charge of the oversight of the CIA during a time when the CIA didn't do its job, which in part resulted in the loss of lives of 3,000 people," he said via telephone from New York.

A White House spokesman declined to comment specifically on the Goss interview but described the lawmaker as "the most qualified man for the job."

Goss is expected to appear at confirmation hearings before the Senate intelligence committee next month.

When your own choice doesn't think he's qualified for a position, why do you go ahead and appoint him?

Because you are Bush. And it's the Bush kind of thing to do...

If your intelligence department gives you faulty intel, you fix it by breaking it further...?

Does anyone even care about this stuff anymore?

[bumcheekcity]

In absolute fairness to Bush, I dont think that the ability to speak Arabic and the ability to use much more then Microsoft Word are really necessary ones for the head of the CIA. There are a few necessary ones.

- Brain the size of a planet.
- Cool in an emergency.
- People Person
- Able to rationalise through Situations

Oh course, the other side of the coin says "What intelligence can you expect from a man that thinks the Franch dont have a word for Entrepeneur?"

[witeshark]

Why would the director need language skills? He won't be doing any field work... But in other ways he should be a qualified leader

[antiklaus]

At 8/12/04 01:21 PM, witeshark wrote: Why would the director need language skills? He won't be doing any field work... But in other ways he should be a qualified leader

But why would you choose someone with no intel background - and someone by his own admission has no skill for the position?

[RedSkunk]

Well, the guy is from Florida, isn't he?

[antiklaus]

At 8/12/04 10:01 PM, Skvnk wrote: Well, the guy is from Florida, isn't he?

Payback for help on the election, mebeee?

whatever... no one seems to care anyways. I thought it was significant, but I guess in light of previous Bush decisions, we expect this kind of 'decision making'

[theburningliberal]

At 8/12/04 01:21 PM, witeshark wrote: Why would the director need language skills?

So that he can critique translations, and has the ability to understand various things that are presented to him (videos, tape recordings, other things) without having a translator.

[StatiK]

At 8/12/04 12:57 PM, bumcheekcity wrote: Post

<off topic>Congrats on 10k posts</off topic>

[Gunter45]

Sounds to me like he was being candid. I mean, referencing his kids calling him technologically incompetant is a classic, overdone joke. Come on, don't tell me you think he was being dead serious.

[antiklaus]

At 8/13/04 12:34 AM, Gunter45 wrote: Sounds to me like he was being candid. I mean, referencing his kids calling him technologically incompetant is a classic, overdone joke. Come on, don't tell me you think he was being dead serious.

there is a video of this. He seems pretty serious. I'll post a link in a bit.

[JoS]

Wasn't he in the CIA before? One would expect it to be a Rep., but perhaps one with some more recent experience? Doesn't the Seneant get the final say?

[antiklaus]

At 8/14/04 11:28 AM, RugbyMacDaddy wrote: Wasn't he in the CIA before? One would expect it to be a Rep., but perhaps one with some more recent experience? Doesn't the Seneant get the final say?

check out his interview on www.michaelmoore.com

if you still think he's a good choice - then he obviously doesn't agree with you.

[The-Enforcer]

Anybody would be better than that idiot George Tenet.

Besides I just think the guy is being modest.