President Bush Picks General Michael Hayden as New CIA Director
M. O'BRIEN: Live pictures now. That's the Oval Office, and that's a podium. And in just a few moments, the president of the United States will be there to formally announce what we've been telling you all morning, that he would like Air Force General Michael Hayden to be the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency. And we'll be seeing that announcement inside in 90 seconds or so from now.</s>S. O'BRIEN: As people like to say, it is not without controversy. And interestingly enough, controversy on a number of fronts. For example, while many people have come out to say really what -- what a person of integrity and how intelligent General Hayden is -- we've heard that numerous times -- the fact that he is an active military man and the fact that the CIA really needs a certain type of leadership at that point, if not an entire gutting of the agency wholesale, certainly has -- has people on different sides of the aisle agreeing on different elements of that.</s>M. O'BRIEN: It's interesting. The other thing that's going to be factored into this whole discussion will be his strong defense. He is a proponent of that domestic wiretapping campaign in his time at the National Security Agency. Let's get a couple of words briefly in here from David Ensor, who's watching this for us. David, you were talking a while ago about really what a brilliant intelligence analyst General Hayden is. That is not a point of debate, is it?</s>ENSOR: No. He's very highly regarded on both sides of the aisle. Probably one -- most people say the best intelligence briefer in town. The problem is he's wearing four stars. There are some who feel there shouldn't be a military man leading a civilian intelligence agency. They feel strongly about that. And of course, as Soledad just mentioned, he was the head of the NSA when the warrantless wiretaps were put in place. He strongly defends that. They're to be some tough questions about that in that confirmation hearing for sure.</s>M. O'BRIEN: But you were talking about how the irony here is that -- and the criticism is that you have a military person running a civilian agency. I'll tell you what, let's hold that thought. Let's listen to the president as he makes his announcement. Stay with us.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning. Today, I am pleased to nominate General Mike Hayden as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike Hayden is supremely qualified for this position. I've come to know him well as our nation's first deputy director of national intelligence. In that position, he's worked closely with our director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, to reform America's intelligence capabilities to meet the threats of a new century. Mike has more than 20 years of experience in the intelligence field. He served for six years as director of the National Security Agency, and thus brings vast experience leading a major intelligence agency to his new assignment. He also served as commander of the Air Intelligence Agency, as director of the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center, and as deputy chief of staff of United States and U.N. forces in Korea. He's held senior positions at the Pentagon, the U.S. European Command, the National Security Council, and served behind the Iron Curtain in our Embassy in Bulgaria during the Cold War. Mike knows our intelligence community from the ground up. He has been both a provider and a consumer of intelligence. He's overseen the development of both human and technological intelligence. He has demonstrated an ability to adapt our intelligence services to the new challenges in the war on terror. He's the right man to lead the CIA at this critical moment in our nation's history. It's my honor to welcome Mike's wife, Jeanine, and their family to the Oval Office. I want to thank them for their willingness to support Mike Hayden in his long service to the United States. With the agreement of the Senate, Mike will succeed a great patriot in Director Porter Goss. Under Porter's leadership, the CIA launched a five-year plan to strengthen the agency's human intelligence capabilities. This plan involves increasing the number of operatives and sources in the field, and building up the agency's analytical capabilities, so the hardworking men and women of the CIA have the resources they need to penetrate closed societies and secretive organizations. Porter also played a vital role in shaping the new relationship between the CIA and the new director of national intelligence. And this process benefited greatly from the decades-long friendship between him and Director Negroponte. Porter took on a critical job at a critical moment in our nation's history. He instilled a sense of professionalism in the CIA and maintained the high standards of this vital agency at a time of transition and transformation. Throughout his public life, Porter Goss has been a man of accomplishment and integrity. And America appreciates his service. I'm confident that Mike Hayden will continue the reforms that Porter has put in place and provide outstanding leadership to meet the challenges and threats of a dangerous new century. Mike Hayden was unanimously confirmed by the Senate last year for his current post. And I call on the Senate to confirm him promptly as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The work of the CIA has never been more important to the security of the American people. America faces determined enemies who struck our nation on September the 11th, 2001, and who intend to attack our country again. To stop them, we must have the best possible intelligence. The men and women of the CIA are working around the clock and around the world in dangerous conditions to gain information that is vital to securing our nation. I appreciate their dedicated service, and so does Mike Hayden. In Mike Hayden, the men and women of the CIA will have a strong leader who will support them. He will ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs. He will enforce the secrecy and accountability that are critical to the security of the American people. Mike, I appreciate your many years of service to our country. We're grateful that you've agreed to step forward and serve once again. Thank you very much. GENERAL MICHAEL V. HAYDEN</s>NOMINEE TO BE DIRECTOR OF THE CIA: Mr. President, thank you for those kind words and for the confidence that you and Ambassador Negroponte have shown in me in nominating me for this position. There's probably no post more important in preserving our security and our values as a people than the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. When I returned from Korea in 1999 to take the position at NSA, I was befriended most of all by two people: George Tenet, who was then DCI; and Porter Goss, then chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Both of these men befriended me, mentored me and supported me. And I will always be in their debt, especially now that I find that I've been nominated to be their successor. If I'm confirmed, I know that I will be standing on their shoulders. In the confirmation process, I look forward to meeting with the leaders of the Congress, better understanding their concerns and working with them to move the American intelligence community forward. This is simply too important not to get absolutely right. To the men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency: If I'm confirmed, I would be honored to join you and work with so many good friends. Your achievements are frequently underappreciated and hidden from the public eye, but you know what you do to protect the republic. And finally, to my wife, Jeanine, and the other members of my family: Thank you yet again for agreeing to continue your sacrifices. I can never repay you enough. Thank you.</s>BUSH: Congratulations, Mike. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you all.</s>M. O'BRIEN: General Mike Hayden receiving the nod of support from the president of the United States, indicating formally what we've been telling you all morning, that he would like him to be his nominee to head the Central Intelligence Agency. It should make for some interesting hearings on Capitol Hill once the Senate gets a hold of this. The issue of a military man running the CIA and also his close link to that domestic wiretapping campaign should make for some interesting questions as this proceeds.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Yes, i thought he had some interesting points, mainly a message to Congress, I look forward to working with you, and also to the hearings. A message for the people who will be working under him at the</s>CIA: I look forward to working with friends. You're underappreciated. Often what you do is hidden from the public eye. A very interesting take in the only, you know, 90 seconds in which he had a few words to say. Let's move it right to a political roundtable this morning. Now we get to David Ensor, who, a you know, has been monitoring this announcement, also bring in our chief national correspondent John King and Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Thanks to all of you for joining us as you've been listening to this. Let's start with you, Barbara. The president talked about, in his remarks, experience, and then had a litany, an impressive resume. Tell me a little bit more about General Hayden.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, General Hayden really is one of the most respected military intelligence officers in the United States. He has a very long background in a number of areas, but especially technical intelligence, the kinds of programs he ran while he was at the National Security Agency, the kinds of priorities he had while he served out in the Pacific monitoring North Korea, for example. The question now will be, how he transfers that experience and the experience as John Negroponte's deputy over to the CIA, which of course is in a changing role, is moving out of the technical intelligence area, out of the area, traditional area of analysis, and moving much more into what they call human intelligence, or spying. So there's -- I think there's no question that Mike Hayden is 100 percent capable of doing the job. He's a brilliant intelligence strategist by all accounts, but the questions he will face on Capitol Hill will still be significant about whether or not he will stand up to Don Rumsfeld as this turf war continues between the Pentagon and Negroponte. It may be very interesting to see what happens when Mike Hayden breaks ranks and doesn't agree with Secretary Rumsfeld, because, again, by all accounts General Hayden is a very independent thinker, and will do what he considers to be the right thing -- Soledad.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Let's bring it right over to John king. What we heard from the president is the job requires a reformer. Does General Hayden have a reputation of being a reformer?</s>JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, he does have a reputation of being a very good manager, and he has a reputation, dispute the dustup over the domestic-surveillance program, of having very good relations with people on Capitol Hill. There are many, and you just had John Lehman on from the 9/11 Commission, who say the blueprint, as they see it right now, is a flawed blueprint for the intelligence community. But the key point from the White House standpoint is that Mr. Negroponte and General Hayden agree on what needs to be done. Mr. Negroponte and former director Porter Goss -- soon to be former director Porter Goss -- did not agree on what needed to be done on additional changes they wanted at the CIA that Director Goss simply said were too much, in his view. So from the White House perspective, the key point is Mr. Negroponte, the president and General Hayden are all in the same page. Now there are others who disagree who say you need to still change all these new developments, these new reforms in the intelligence community. That will be one of the debates before Congress. It will continue to be a debate between the agencies, obviously. That's why I think you heard General Hayden try to reassure the people at the CIA, I'm coming to be your friend and your leader, I'm not coming to damage. And David Ensor can speak to this much better than I, but what all say is a significant morale crisis at the agency.</s>S. O'BRIEN: And let's send right to David Ensor, who we really started it all with. It was interesting remarks, I agree with John King there where he said I understand that my friends are there and you could underappreciate it. All the things you've accomplished, to a large degree, are hidden from the public. Not a sly message at all, a very overt message to people at the</s>CIA. ENSOR: Certainly an appeal to them to say I want to be one of you, I respect what you've done. There are going to be more heads, though, going from the CIA. Certainly people that Porter Goss brought in, the ones that were close to him and came in from Capitol Hill, they'll probably all be leaving. Number two will leave because he's an admiral and you can't have two military men at the top. Number three will leave because there's a cloud over his head. So there's going to be tremendous upheaval and change at the CIA and certainly General Hayden wants to say to them I'm going bring stability. There will be people there that are very pleased to have a man who has as much access to the president as General Hayden does. And on the whole question of him being a general, you know, I have to tell you that of all the generals in Washington, this is probably Donald Rumsfeld's least favorite general. These two men have crossed swords publicly and forcefully. General Hayden will do what he thinks he should do, and if the Pentagon disagrees, that will be -- that will not be a problem for him.</s>S. O'BRIEN: All right, David, thanks. Quick final question for John King. John, yes or no, is he going to be confirmed?</s>KING: Yes. There will be a dust-up over a few things. Republicans will raise some questions. But Republicans run the Senate. He will be confirmed probably quite quickly.</s>S. O'BRIEN: All right. John King, Barbara Starr, David Ensor. Thank you very much. Appreciate all the analysis this morning -- Miles.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Andy Serwer is here. How are you, sir?</s>ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" COLUMNIST: I'm fine. Good morning to you guys. Wall Street is off to the races this morning. Will the bull run continue? Plus, a big, big bank merger to tell you about. Stay tuned. Coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.