Bush ‘s Naming Gen. Hayden As CIA Pick Will Spark Polarizing Political Fight (UPDATED)

When CIA Director Porter Goss resigned the conventional wisdom seemed to be that the White House would pick someone who would be relatively free from controversy.

Instead, all signs point to the White House picking someone who is not only controversial — but who will provoke a polarizing battle in Congress since Democrats and even some Republicans will oppose him. And, according to the Washington Post, it seems like that is what the Bush administration wants:

The nomination of Gen. Michael V. Hayden to take over the CIA would trigger a fresh battle over the secret warrantless surveillance program he oversaw on behalf of President Bush, a debate that could help shape the contours of the fall midterm congressional elections, officials in both parties said yesterday.

But is the fact that the CIA Director’s nomination seems poised to become a political football happenstance?

Barring a change of heart, aides expect Bush to name Hayden tomorrow as his choice to succeed CIA director Porter J. Goss, who resigned under pressure Friday. Hayden, a former director of the National Security Agency and now deputy director of national intelligence, has become the most forceful defender of Bush’s eavesdropping program since its disclosure in December.

Rather than steer away from a Hayden nomination because of the controversy, the White House seems ready for a new fight over it, convinced that it has public support and that Democrats opposing Hayden’s confirmation would risk looking weak on terrorism. Democrats yesterday began formulating a strategy built around grilling Hayden during hearings and then determining whether any refusal to answer questions provides enough justification to oppose his confirmation.

“By nominating him, they are looking for a confrontation and forcing the Congress to take sides, so I am troubled by this,” said Rep. Jane Harman (Calif.), ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, who has a close relationship with Hayden and considers him “very professional and dedicated.”

A senior White House official said Bush did not choose Hayden to pick a fight but would welcome one if it came. “We felt that we’re in a position on offense,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the nomination has not been announced. “We have no concerns about a public debate over the terrorist surveillance program.”

The bottom line: Bush could pick ANY number of excellent candidates and avoid a bitter fight in Congress. But that’s evidently not his plan.

Once again, this administration is apparently getting ready to opt for the most divisive course of action — one that will mean talk show radio hosts will be lambasting those who question it as being soft on terrorism, one that will get members of the GOP party base riled up. A coincidence, of course….

But there is one additional problem, as it turns out: Hayden will also face some opposition within the GOP itself, as the AP reports:

A leading Republican came out against the front-runner for CIA director, Gen. Michael Hayden, saying Sunday the spy agency should not have military leadership during a turbulent time among intelligence agencies.

Members of the Senate committee that would consider President Bush’s nominee also expressed reservations, saying the CIA is a civilian agency and putting Hayden atop it would concentrate too much power in the military for intelligence matters.

Bush was expected to nominate a new director as early as Monday to replace Porter Goss, who abruptly resigned on Friday.

But opposition to Hayden because of his military background is mounting on Capitol Hill, where he would face tough hearings in the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Despite a distinguished career at the Defense Department, Hayden would be “the wrong person, the wrong place at the wrong time,” said the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich.

“There is ongoing tensions between this premier civilian intelligence agency and DOD as we speak,” Hoekstra said. “And I think putting a general in charge – regardless of how good Mike is – … is going to send the wrong signal through the agency here in Washington but also to our agents in the field around the world,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”

A transcript of Hoekstra’s comments is HERE. Also see VIDEO.

Now, put all of this into perspective:

So, a a time when press accounts are offering varying views of why Porter Goss resigned, from theories that it was over policy, due to the recommendation of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, to speculation that it was over impending scandal, the administration has selected as his replacement someone it KNOWS is going to be highly controversial and who will spark yet another divisive battle in Congress that raises the national political heat level — and divides Americans into bitterly divisive political camps.

There were other options. But, if the Post piece is to be believed, it’s clear that this is to excite and win back the GOP’s eroding conservative base — and define the Democrats.

Question: Isn’t it time for Americans who believe that national unity and consensus aren’t bad, and independent voters in particular, to honestly ask themselves whether George Bush is across-the-boards (rather just on one single issue) perhaps the most intentionally divisive President in American history?

He’s beginning to make Richard Nixon look like Mother Teresa.

UPDATE: Then there’s THIS TROUBLING QUOTE from Hayden.

UPDATE II: It’s now being framed as a BIPARTISAN fight against Hayden. Note the way this Reuters report fames it:

U.S. lawmakers, some from President George W. Bush’s Republican party, are challenging his expected choice as CIA chief of a general behind a disputed domestic spying program.

They voiced reservations on Sunday talk shows about Bush’s potential choice of Gen. Michael Hayden, deputy to national intelligence director John Negroponte, to head the spy agency following Porter Goss’s resignation under pressure on Friday.

The members of Congress said they wanted to use Hayden’s Senate nomination hearings to learn more about the program of warrantless eavesdropping on Americans’ international phone calls and e-mail in pursuit of terrorism suspects. Critics say the program threatens civil liberties but Bush defends it as essential to fighting terrorism.

Some also said a general heading the CIA could give the Pentagon too much sway over U.S. intelligence gathering….

….Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, however, called Hayden “very highly qualified” and told CBS’s “Face the Nation” it was important that the Senate quickly act on the nomination. He declined to say how he would vote.

UPDATE III: Andrew Sullivan believes Goss’ quick exit is indeed due to the breaking scandal involving corruption and prostitutes — and that it shows why this administration most definitely isn’t finished yet..and that Karl Rove is still in good form.

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