Nation's chief intelligence officer resigns
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/01/27/art.mcconnell.gi.jpg caption="Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell has resigned effective immediately."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell has resigned effective immediately, DNI spokesman Ross Feinstein said Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, the No. 3 official in the DNI's office, will serve as acting director until a new one is confirmed, Feinstein said.
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama nominated retired Adm. Dennis Blair to be chief of intelligence.
Blair's confirmation hearing was held last week, and the Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to recommend approval as early as Wednesday, sending the nomination to the full Senate for a final vote.
McConnell had been expected to remain as DNI until Blair was in place, but the delay in Blair's confirmation prompted him to announce his resignation sooner than that.
The retired admiral will continue to advise Obama, however, having agreed to serve on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
The defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton announced Tuesday that McConnell will return to the company as a vice president. He left the firm in February 2006 to become the nation's second director of national intelligence.
The office was created in late 2004 as part of the effort to improve intelligence gathering after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the faulty intelligence on Iraq weapons of mass destruction.
After Obama's executive order to close GITMO and then appearing on Al Arabiya TV saying how we're "friends" to all muslims – I'd be resigning from being Obama's Chief Intelligence Officer too!
It's quite clear Obama will be taking a hands-off approach to our enemies as Clinton did years ago leading up to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Perhaps when we're attacked again under an Obama administration, the liberal loons can explain exactly WHY Bush kept us safe for 7 years and Obama got us attacked again.
Sounds like trouble is brewing!
Sounds like he doesn't want his name attached to any of the new Obama directives.
He is going to be a lobbyist now????
Hell's bells! What do we need Intelligence for? We've got Obama the Magnificent Know-All in the white house.
If you worked under Bush you can't have much intelligence anyway. SEEEEEEya.
Good riddance yes-man.
Good. Hit the road Jack...and don't ya come back no more, no more.
President Obama's Administration is ALL about changing how we do business in American. If you CAN'T handle the fire, get the hell out of the kitchen buddy!!
This guy is NOT the first who will run like a chicken without his head... there will be more. GOOD, I hope those that have a black cloud over their heads realize that President O isn't playing, he's not about fun and games.
I'm so proud of my President Obama, yes, I said it MY President.
Wow...another GOPer pansy throwing a hissy fit...awesome.
Was there any mention of why the resignation before the replacement was confirmed by the Senate? This seems like it is missing a sentance or two. Why is the #3 taking over? Where's the #2 and what's he/she doing (obviously not the job)?
It is not a minute too soon.In inteligence we should have intelligent people not those arrogant, incompetent leftovers from this moron Bush.
The relationship between McConnell and Booz Allen Hamilton is indicative of the type of cronyism and "contracts for sale" approach of the former administration and fully illustrates why we SHOULD be prosecuting them all – starting with Bush and working down through this guy, too.
Booz Allen Hamilton is just ONE of the MANY groups making bucks off of W's dirty little oil war in Iraq.
Good riddance. He should be prosecuted, not allowed to resign.
Adios to another Bush/Cheney hack.
You mean he couldn't have waited a week or so until his successor was confirmed. Was this man ill?
If he wasn't, that's sure not very "Country First".
I've got to believe that if he had a new job waiting for him, he couldn't have convinced them to wait 2 weeks.
"Intelligence", is Hard to Find; in a Technical World... Bit's and Bytes... Make just one "Letter" theses day's...
Michael McConnell could not stop lying to Congress, and was comfortable with torture as a means of intelligence-gathering. Good riddance.
Can say he did a great job
This Government changes "leadership" so often it's no wonder we have no "leaders"
I think there's a very strong possibility that he, and others, WILL be prosecuted. Just ask Karl Rove. This is why the Republicans are trying to stall the Holder nomination.
There's a new sheriff in town, the stonewalling of Congress is over, and we are just now beginning to learn just HOW much damage was done on the prior watch.
Aren't there any young brilliant men or women to take these jobs?
These same old same old faces are disturbing – and they usually follow the same old same old patterns.
luan isuffi January 27th, 2009 3:19 pm ET
It is not a minute too soon.In inteligence we should have intelligent people not those arrogant, incompetent leftovers from this moron Bush
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So I image, Leon Panetta, a man with Zero intel experience going to the CIA is a good pick for you? That's not incompetent?
The guilty trying to jump ship before they are all investigated.
Casey | Sebastopol, CA "W's dirty little oil war in Iraq."
Where exactly is all this oil you speak of?
I hear this unqualified comment thrown around a lot by Bush haters and I have yet to see one shred of evidence that shows this was about the oil.
I have no love for the man personally, but I also detest mindless spewing of baseless comments.
As for McConnell, he's a decent guy with a great background and he did the job he was hired to do. Pretty well I might add.
So don't bag on the guy until you've looked into his service.
The ignorant and uneducated comments from the left are getting more absurd by the minute.
"The defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton announced Tuesday that McConnell will return to the company as a vice president."
As if he ever left. Get!
As my main Broham, Barack suggests:
"There's a new day dawning in America. It's time to turn the page on the failed policies of the past."
You got that right, Mr. Prez.
Time to follow the advice of Ross Perot, and, "clean out the barn".
Let's roll!
well said Casey!