(CNN) –- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Senate’s incoming Intelligence committee chair, slammed President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta as director of the CIA Monday.
“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director. I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read,” Feinstein said in a statement. “My position has consistently been that I believe the Agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”
A Feinstein spokesman told CNN’s Dana Bash that the California senator found out about Obama’s pick after her staff showed her a New York Times report.
"The President-elect will now have a chance to make his arguments,” the spokesman said. “Her next move is to listen."
Feinstein is the new chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. While Panetta’s political career - as a congressman, and as President Clinton’s chief of staff - spans three decades, he has little hands-on intelligence experience.
–CNN’s Pam Benson contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Feinstein? Intelligence? FAIL
Scariest part is that I agree with her. Yikes.
Republicans please don't read something else into this. I can just see you Idiots now.
Feinstein needs to be quiet and LISTEN before she speaks. A sign that PE Obama will not be respected. Pitiful.
operation chaos. i love it!
And the Senate would be best served by having term limits to avoid career hacks like Feinstein.
Very odd that President Obama didn't speak with the incoming Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Something seems wrong with this picture as he has been so transparent up to this point that this appointment seems to go against his previous actions.
Is she worried that he's Catholic? Really – I have to worry about what's Not being said here.
More power to you Dianne !
I never thought I would ever agree with her on anything.
Oops. Forget to kiss the right butts Obama?
The only idiots are Panetta and Obama for thinking Panetta is up to doing this job.
Ouch.
Why do you need someone with intelligence experience to run our intelligence office? We picked someone without well honed political skills or foreign policy skills to run the country.
Well Dianne...
When your the President you can make the choices that you think are the best
Until then, just do your job
Proud American, Can you do anything else but call Republicans idiots? Not vetting a choice with the relevant committee chair is an amateur mistake, and won't be Obama's last. It's what you get when you put someone without the right experience in a job that's over his head.
Yet another politician with "hoof in mouth" disease! Surprising! It is always best to be swift hear and slow to speak. I take it Ms. Feinstein didn't learn that one!
MAYBE OUR PEBO DIDN'T GET THE MEMO THAT HE NEEDS TO
CONFER WITH FEINESTEIN BEFORE MAKING ANY APPOINTMENTS.
AFTER ALL SHE IS A SENATOR & HE IS MERELY THE PRESIDENT.
Is this the same Feinstein, who was hesitant on what torture is and not.
Leon Panetta is one of the most intelligence, resourceful, and HONEST people ever to have been a public servant. I welcome his return to public service. There's no one I'd trust more at the helm of CIA. Get over it Feinstein....only reason for you to take this public is you are miffed you didn't get "consulted". The president elect doesn't consult on his picks with congress madam. Get on board or get run over by the train of progress!
Proud American–why don't you contribute something intelligent for once, instead of your partisan drivel?
FINALLY...something I and my Senator agree on...
Not a big Feinstein fan myself, But I have to agree with her! (ouch that hurts)!
Mr. Obama has now become so obvious. The puppet marches to the beat. To do this just blew your cover. You are just the posterboy.
Thank God someone in Washington has sense! Of course you hire a person with the actual skills and training and experience to do the job they are hired to do...you want an intelligence leader, you look for someone with that kind of background...not someone from a totally different professional background...like economics.
What is going on with these ludicrous appointments...oh, I know...Obama must be repaying big contributors to his campaign by putting people in jobs they aren't qualified for...didn't people say that Bush did that? And wasn't all that supposed to change with a new administration? Big change!
In fact, Obama is making Bush look good.
I wish all our politicians would just stop with the knee jerk reactions everytime PE Obama makes a decision. Shut up already and hear the man out.
WE HAVE TO PUT IN SENATE TERM LIMITS.
THAT WOULD GET RID OF HACKS LIKE FEINSTINE WHO
THINK THE PRESIDENT IS AT THEIR BECK & CALLING.
Obama's inexperience is showing already.
Even Diane Feinstein knows that was a BAD CHOICE. Why don't they just bring back Slick Willy as President seeing how Obama's has picked all his cabinet members from that administration.
I thought Barry was different than the other lying politicians...his change isn't change.