Hoekstra: Hayden is the "wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time"

In a preemptive strike against Bush's expected pick for CIA director, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) said today that Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden was the "wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time." Hoekstra, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said that "[w]e should not have a military person leading a civilian agency at this time." Citing the tensions between the Defense Department and the CIA, Hoekstra said that "putting a general in charge, regardless of how good Mike is, putting a general charge is going to send the wrong signal to the agency here in Washington but also to our agents in the field around the world."

"House Intel Panel Chief Opposes Hayden" [ABC News]
Transcript: Rep. Pete Hoekstra on Fox News Sunday [Fox News]

UPDATED 5/8/06:

Steve Clemons of The Washington Note argues that politicians and pundits are misreading the Hayden nomination. Clemons says that, while Hayden deserves criticism over his role in the warrantless wiretapping program, the claim that Hayden would "consolidate Rumsfeld's efforts to establish comprehensive military dominance over the nation's national security intelligence bureaucracy" is probably wrong. To the contrary, "Hayden -- and now the super spy Steve Kappes who was fired by Goss and who will be the new CIA Deputy -- may become the best hope of knocking back Don Rumsfeld's imperialism over the national intelligence capacity of the country."

"Misreading Michael Hayden's Role in the Intelligence Bureaucracy Wars: Negroponte Wants Hayden to Battle with -- Not Help -- Rumsfeld" [The Washington Note]