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[3rdman]

You couldn't make this stuff up....

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5944517

LOL...Michael Moore rules.

Update: Michaelmoore.com updated with the video and full transcript. It's actually funnier now.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=128

INTERVIEWER: [Y]ou come from intelligence. This is what you did, this is what you know.


REP. GOSS: Uh, that was, uh, 35 years ago.


INTERVIEWER: Okay.


REP. GOSS: It is true I was in CIA from approximately the late 50's to approximately the early 70's. And it's true I was a case officer, clandestine services office and yes I do understand the core mission of the business. I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified. 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. 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.
-- Rep. Porter Goss, March 3, 2004, Washington, DC

 

[Dilbert]

Beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. This just needs to hit the front page of the newspapers...

 

[LuckyBrand]

Running the CIA and being a member of its clandestine operations are entirely different, you do realize... right?

he mentions speaking arabic and technology savvy; two things he'd need if he was a spy in the field.. to run the overall operations of the CIA, it requires a completely different skill set.

 

[Ferrio]

Running the CIA and being a member of its clandestine operations are entirely different, you do realize... right?

he mentions speaking arabic and technology savvy; two things he'd need if he was a spy in the field.. to run the overall operations of the CIA, it requires a completely different skill set.

Obviously he himself thinks these are needed skills. But I'm glad you are trying to correct the person you are defending.

 

[Hitokage]

Wasn't he also the guy who gave out the bogus phone number in F9/11?

 

[gofreak]

I'm not a fan of the Bush administration, but I tend to agree with LuckyBrand. In that interview he seems to be talking about what he would need if he were joining the CIA today as a worker in the field or as a worker on the more operational level. As a leader, it's not as necessary for him to speak arab languages or be a computer specialist.

Hey, he may not be qualified for a lot of other reasons (i don't know anything about him, to be honest), but it wouldn't be because of those reasons.

 

[human5892]

I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified.

That is god damned hilarious.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Why can't that Sloane guy get the job? I hear he's pretty smart.

 

[LuckyBrand]

Obviously he himself thinks these are needed skills. But I'm glad you are trying to correct the person you are defending.

Yes, he thinks these skills are needed, for CLANDESTINE employees..

Generally when the CIA hires, its hiring for spys.. They dont just regular hire CIA chiefs...

This is simple logic here; he is speaking about what the CIA needs in terms of spies today... he isnt talking about what a CIA chief skillset requires... trust me, tenet didnt speak arabic or know everything about every field technology available either.. and whoever they get, if its not this guy, he wont speak arabic either...

god you guys are so dense sometimes.

 

[human5892]

Yes, he thinks these skills are needed, for CLANDESTINE employees..

Generally when the CIA hires, its hiring for spys.. They dont just regular hire CIA chiefs...

This is simple logic here; he is speaking about what the CIA needs in terms of spies today... he isnt talking about what a CIA chief skillset requires... trust me, tenet didnt speak arabic or know everything about every field technology available either.. and whoever they get, if its not this guy, he wont speak arabic either...

god you guys are so dense sometimes.

You're talking him at the absolute literal level. What he is implying by citing his lack of skill is that the CIA -- and the world in general -- have changed greatly since he last worked there. To work there again, he would need knowledge pertaining to today's terror environment and modern technology, not that of decades before.

Also, even if you're just taking his statements at face value, I'm sure the CIA would benefit more from having a CIC who did speak Arabic and was up on the latest technology...not to mention more of a bi-partisan pick, as well.

 

[3rdman]

Yes, he thinks these skills are needed, for CLANDESTINE employees..

Generally when the CIA hires, its hiring for spys.. They dont just regular hire CIA chiefs...

This is simple logic here; he is speaking about what the CIA needs in terms of spies today... he isnt talking about what a CIA chief skillset requires... trust me, tenet didnt speak arabic or know everything about every field technology available either.. and whoever they get, if its not this guy, he wont speak arabic either...

god you guys are so dense sometimes.

Ok, but in this day and age doesn't it just make sense to hire a man with the background in understanding the Arabic world? We're at war with Iraq and occupying Afgahnistan so our president hires a guy who is not familiar with that part of the world? I guess I'm just dense.

edit: A bipartisan pick would have been nice...Am I the only one bothered by the fact that Goss is both a Republican and a Floridian...Its an obviously political pick.

 

[Pimpwerx]

Um, considering the focus of the uber-lame war on terror, you'd think you'd want someone in there who's familiar with the language and culture, no? This isn't the Cold War anymore. I think that's some serious self-ownage right there. Reconfirms the notion that his hire was strictly political. I don't know how much it was gonna help Bush in FL anyway though. PEACE.

 

[LuckyBrand]

I think you'd want someone who has an understanding of how the intelligence system works most importantly; and doesnt he have years experience being on the intelligence committee of the House?

 

[human5892]

A bipartisan pick would have been nice...Am I the only one bothered by the fact that Goss is both a Republican and a Floridian...Its an obviously political pick.

Definitely. I'm actually surprised that the Democrats (and some more moderate Republicans) haven't made more of an issue out of this. Perhaps this quote will further things along.

I think you'd want someone who has an understanding of how the intelligence system works most importantly; and doesnt he have years experience being on the intelligence committee of the House?

Yes...but that is not nearly as qualified as someone else who has experience with intelligence in the modern day.

 

[ChrisReid]

Ha ha, his out of context quote makes him look stupid!

 

[human5892]

Ha ha, his out of context quote makes him look stupid!

The rest of the context is in the entire article. It does not diminish the quote.

 

[Drinky Crow]

Ha ha, his out of context quote makes him look stupid!

Watch O'Reilly much?

 

[Meier]

...not to mention more of a bi-partisan pick, as well.

This guy has worked extensively with Democrats in the past as I'm sure you're aware of.

 

[human5892]

This guy has worked extensively with Democrats in the past as I'm sure you're aware of.

In recent months, he has revealed himself to be viruently anti-Kerry; an article I read just today in the paper cites an article he wrote in June questioning Kerry on defense spending, along with other examples of his partisan tendencies. I think it's fairly common knowledge that he is very much a right-leaning individual. Nothing's fundamentally wrong with that, of course, but it's yet another quality that makes many of us question his qualifications for the job.

 

[3rdman]

This guy has worked extensively with Democrats in the past as I'm sure you're aware of.

LOL, thats like saying if you've worked in Washington, you've worked extensively with politicians or a garbage man has worked extensively with waste management. I'm sure he's worked with Democrats...big deal.

The problem is that this appointee is just another "yes-man."

http://slate.msn.com/id/2104981/

At least as pertinent from the vantage of the White House, he has been a fierce combatant in the battle against Democratic critics of the Bush administration.

Last June, when John Kerry gave what was heralded as a major speech on national security issues, the Bush-Cheney campaign tapped Goss to write the official critique. "John Kerry's speech today," Goss wrote in a fusillade that appeared on Bush's Web site, "amounted to little more than political 'me-tooism.' " He added that Kerry "neglected the president's historic achievements" and "remarkable progress" while at the same time embracing "the goals that the president has already laid to make the world a safer place."

 

[Makura]

Nice try Moore.

It just sounds like he's being self-effacing to me. Saying you don't speak arabic and joking about your kids being better on a computer than you are hardly disqualifies him.

I think Moore just wants more publicity and the media certainly seems to be in the mood to grant him as much as he wants these days.

 

[human5892]

Nice try Moore.

It just sounds like he's being self-effacing to me. Saying you don't speak arabic and joking about your kids being better on a computer than you are hardly disqualifies him.

I think Moore just wants more publicity and the media certainly seems to be in the mood to grant him as much as he wants these days.

This sounds like:

1.) You didn't read the thread
2.) You are attempting to shift attention to yet another Michael Moore bash

 

[Makura]

No.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Sounds like people need to stop being tools and learn to read for themselves and not go blindly on some soundbite.

 

[xsarien]

Nice try Moore.

It just sounds like he's being self-effacing to me.

The computer part, maybe; the Arabic part, hell no.

(By the way, am I the only one who kind of looked around suspiciously when I found out this guy's a politician from Florida?)

 

[human5892]

No.

Sounds like people need to stop being tools and learn to read for themselves and not go blindly on some soundbite.

Thank you both for your masterful reasoning.

(By the way, am I the only one who kind of looked around suspiciously when I found out this guy's a politician from Florida?)

Nope!

 

[videogamer]

They need to put Kathryn Harris in a prominant government position. That should rally the ovters.

 

[Azih]

Huh, I was less suspicous of Gross' appointment to the head poistion before reading the thread because of two things.

1) This guy is obviously not a McCain like politician that is respected by both Democrats and Republicans. That is an issue

2) Gross made a very good point. During the Cold War, you needed CIA heads who were very knowledgeble about the U.S.S.R. It's motives and techniques and history and mindset. You needed someone who knew how to handle running spies in the communist world and counter-intelligece. Now you need the same thing for the Middle East region (and to a lesser extent, the Muslim world). An expert on these very complicated and subtle issues is almost necessary and Gross isn't it. You need someone who is up to speed on cyber terrorism issues, the use of internet and cellular technology by terrorists to communicate and coordinate, DDoS attacks, viruses, hacking, cracking. These are the brand new fronts in intelligence and Gross isn't very well equipped to handle them.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

2) Gross made a very good point. During the Cold War, you needed CIA heads who were very knowledgeble about the U.S.S.R. It's motives and techniques and history and mindset. You needed someone who knew how to handle running spies in the communist world and counter-intelligece. Now you need the same thing for the Middle East region (and to a lesser extent, the Muslim world). An expert on these very complicated and subtle issues is almost necessary and Gross isn't it. You need someone who is up to speed on cyber terrorism issues, the use of internet and cellular technology by terrorists to communicate and coordinate, DDoS attacks, viruses, hacking, cracking. These are the brand new fronts in intelligence and Gross isn't very well equipped to handle them.

Well how many old dudes are you going to find that are familiar with that kind of technology? Especially from the political arena. To me it seems you need two heads on to handle the social/political and another to handle the technical. You won't find one person well versed on both sides of the equasion.

 

[human5892]

Well how many old dudes are you going to find that are familiar with that kind of technology? Especially from the political arena.

Someone already within the CIA? Someone within some other arm of the Defense Department? Really, lots of other people would be more qualified than a well-known Republican who has spent his recent years selling real estate in Florida.

To me it seems you need two heads on to handle the social/political and another to handle the technical. You won't find one person well versed on both sides of the equasion.

There are plenty of people out there who are able to comprehend politics and technology. To suggest there's not one person on the planet who can do both is preposterous.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I'm not saying that you can't I'm saying for someone in the political arena it will be difficult to find.

 

[Azih]

Well why would the head of the CIA have to come from politics? And it can't be too difficult to find somebody who is well versed in one field and decently informed in the other. Unlike Gross who's ill informed in both and extremely partisan to boot.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Thank you Michael Moore.

 

[3rdman]

You guys gotta see the video! LOL

 

[ManDudeChild]

Why is this still being discussed? I mean common, no one and I mean NO ONE would be so stupid (even Bush wouldn't be ... well) to say that in the context some of you are taking it. It's clear he's talking about being a field operative, not his position. Although I agree he should probably verse himself in the nessesary cultural backgrounds needed for the current conflicts, there's just no way he'd be stupid enough to say he's unqualified for the job he was appointed to. Of course, given the way information is manipulated as of late for political purposes, he could have chosen his words a bit more carefully.

 

[SKluck]

I want to know what was previously said in the interview. Seems fishy at first, but I think he is just talking about what it takes to be a field agent. Or at least an agent with more impact on operations.

 

[Malakhov]

Ha ha, his out of context quote makes him look stupid!

Yep and it's what Moore excels at bringing up!

 

[Socreges]

Why is this still being discussed? I mean common, no one and I mean NO ONE would be so stupid (even Bush wouldn't be ... well) to say that in the context some of you are taking it. It's clear he's talking about being a field operative, not his position. Although I agree he should probably verse himself in the nessesary cultural backgrounds needed for the current conflicts, there's just no way he'd be stupid enough to say he's unqualified for the job he was appointed to. Of course, given the way information is manipulated as of late for political purposes, he could have chosen his words a bit more carefully.

No, this interview was taken before he even knew he had a chance at the job.

I agree with you, and several other people, in that he really should be more familiar with contemporary issues and opponents. The Bush administration is hiring a mind. And his mind, I genuinely doubt, is appropriate for the business he needs to deal with. Of course they could hammer him with information and they'll really have to. Learning the language probably won't be completely necessary, but there's a great deal to understand.

Still, I think a greater concern is his political affiliation. THAT you cannot change.

 

[Yossarian]

This thread is full of stupid.