Hey, Leon - I'll do it!

I guess it's getting pretty well known that Barack Obama is set to announce Leon Panetta as the next head of the CIA. Dianne Feinstein is not happy about the selection. (Or maybe she's just upset she wasn't consulted?)

The new administration will be criticized no matter who they place in this hot seat. Any experienced "intelligence" professional will have the taint of the recent CIA issues (illegal wiretaps, water boarding, that sort of thing) yet it's hard to justify a non-intelligence person running this important organization.

Panetta has the "advantage" of having been in Bill Clinton's daily "Intelligence Briefings" but that's about it. Plus, he's 70 years old!

So, selflessly, I'll volunteer to take the job. Why? I want to know which fictional spies (and their technologies) are closer to reality: Jack Bauer ["24"], Maxwell Smart ["Get Smart"], James Bond [you know who I mean], or Sydney Bristow ["Alias" - How great would it be to meet agents like Jennifer Garner! Not that I'd turn down meeting Smart's "99"]. I want to know how well connected the computers of various agencies really are in the post-9/11 world. ["Eagle Eye" gave lots of undue credit to the ability of computers and governmental agencies to get along. The aforementioned "24" is probably more realistic about the agencies (they have turf wars and politics and incompetents once in a while) but still assumes more capability in interconnected computers than I think exists.]

So, Leon, if you get tired of fighting to maintain your position, or just decide it's about time to retire, suggest my name to your boss, OK?




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