Foggo, Wilkes, Goss......and Hookers
The traditional media can't help themselves. They are falling in line with the Bush Administration spin that Goss' departure from the CIA was due to his poor management skills and his inability to get along with intelligence czar, John Negroponte (it is so hard to put intelligence and Negroponte in the same sentence). The problem with this view is pretty simple. The Bush Administration has never fired anyone for incompetence. The Bush Administration fires for disloyalty. Unless administration officials are actually booked for crimes, no one is asked to leave.
I think the most realistic view of Goss' departure is that his relationship with Kyle "Dusty" Foggo was going to blow up big time. Goss had a free hand to destroy the agency by forcing its top people out and replacing them with his own crew of Republican loyalists. Foggo was an Agency guy, but one consigned to mid-level bureaucracy until Goss reached down and elevated him to the #3 leadership position in the entire CIA. Goss must have been confident that Foggo wasn't part of the "disloyal" CIA leadership that was making life tough for Bush and Cheney.
Problem is Foggo turned out to be much more loyal to Cunningham co-conspirator Brent Wilkes than to Goss' vision of a politicized CIA. Foggo's associations with Wilkes and his likely assistance in procuring contracts for Wilkes' companies is going to become a major issue for the CIA and when that happens, Goss will get sucked into the Wilkes-Wade-Cunningham corruption scandal.
It is also important to note that, prior to his appointment at the CIA, Goss ran the House Intelligence Committee, where Wilkes and Wade got earmarks from Cunningham. The extent to which Goss was a party to this bribe and payoff system may become more apparent in the next few days.
And, of course, then we get to the hookers. Foggo and Wilkes poker parties in those "hospitality suites" at the Watergate and Westin. When the insider revelations of the relationship between Foggo and Wilkes turns to cigars, booze and hookers, Goss' decisions regarding Foggo and his relationship with Cunningham and Wilkes is going to get a close look, at least in the blogosphere, if not the traditional media.
I think the most realistic view of Goss' departure is that his relationship with Kyle "Dusty" Foggo was going to blow up big time. Goss had a free hand to destroy the agency by forcing its top people out and replacing them with his own crew of Republican loyalists. Foggo was an Agency guy, but one consigned to mid-level bureaucracy until Goss reached down and elevated him to the #3 leadership position in the entire CIA. Goss must have been confident that Foggo wasn't part of the "disloyal" CIA leadership that was making life tough for Bush and Cheney.
Problem is Foggo turned out to be much more loyal to Cunningham co-conspirator Brent Wilkes than to Goss' vision of a politicized CIA. Foggo's associations with Wilkes and his likely assistance in procuring contracts for Wilkes' companies is going to become a major issue for the CIA and when that happens, Goss will get sucked into the Wilkes-Wade-Cunningham corruption scandal.
It is also important to note that, prior to his appointment at the CIA, Goss ran the House Intelligence Committee, where Wilkes and Wade got earmarks from Cunningham. The extent to which Goss was a party to this bribe and payoff system may become more apparent in the next few days.
And, of course, then we get to the hookers. Foggo and Wilkes poker parties in those "hospitality suites" at the Watergate and Westin. When the insider revelations of the relationship between Foggo and Wilkes turns to cigars, booze and hookers, Goss' decisions regarding Foggo and his relationship with Cunningham and Wilkes is going to get a close look, at least in the blogosphere, if not the traditional media.
posted by RJB at 8:49 AM
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