Yeah, the libs are all donning their tinfoil hats on this one. Here's a comment from another website I look at:

"I was wondering the same thing...my husband and I were discussing this, and I really don't think that Bush would have chosen for Tenet to leave, and especially not now. Perhaps Tenet has just had a snootful of being the fall guy, and he's tired of Bush's "I-Can-Do-No-Wrong-Because-I-Can-Blame-Everything-On-Someone-Else-Philosophy"?!?! I hope and pray that Tenet has a tell-all book already written that can hit the stands right about the middle of October... **rubbing hands gleefully** If anyone knows where the bodies are buried, it's Tenet!"

Rudy would be an interesting choice. For some reason, I'm picturing Mr. Burns rubbing his hands together, saying, "Excellent."

Just to clarify that wasn't MY nutty comment I was quoting. It was made by a far-far-FAR-leftist.

Rudy certainly seems to be the most popular candidate in the blogosphere for what Cori Dauber calls "body's not cold award", and, being a New Yorker, he's got my vote. And those who like the idea of Rudy as DCI do so for the same reason you do Ace: Balls. Big ones.

As far as who will become the permanent DCI, I guess it all comes down to the outsider/insider issue and George Bush winning the election. I can't see the Bush Administration seeking confirmation this close to the election.

Unless, of course, the the President's choice for DCI is a slam-dunk.

But I think Rudy would be a slam-dunk. How many Democrats would have the cojones to vote against him?

They'd risk tipping off the public that they are nothing but partisans whose chief interest is not in protecting America but rather in weakening Bush.

If a highly-competent, popular, credible man agrees to take such a difficult job, you say Thank You. You don't attempt to derail his appointment.

Unless you're not particularly interested in having a highly-competent, popular, and credible man in the post.

Ace, great call on Rudy. He would be a total ball-buster choice.

Who'd risk tipping off the public, ace? It's been my experience that the fringe -- on EITHER side of the political spectrum -- are the most vocal. I can't *envision* it, but I guess there *might* be a semi-conservative Democrat who might have some Maalox moments when thinking about this issue, but the radical lefties that I see around here don't give a rat's ass about what my conservative honkiness thinks.

BTW, I'm going to be sorely disappointed if Rudy's not nominated, now. I think he'd be perfect.

I've always thought the main problem with getting Rudy into politics again was the lack of an appropriate venue for him. He is a large fish. He requires a large fishbowl.

I always sort of doubted that he'd run for Senator, because being a Senator is a big step down from being the executive of the largest metropolis in America.

Vice President is bullshit, too. Cheney's made the post a powerful one, but there's no guarantee that another Bush VP would have the same power. It would be pretty unlikely.

So I've always thought that the only real possibilities for Guiliani in bigger politics were 1) President 2) Governor of New York 3) Head of the FBI 4) Attorney General or 5) Head of the CIA. I guess now that DHS is a cabinet-level position that would be big enough for him, too, but I don't know about that job. It seems sort of ill-defined and ungainly.

Obviously, there aren't openings for most of those jobs at the moment. (And I think AG might even be beneath him.)

DCI seems perfect for him. It's a huge job. It's not the sort of one that would diminish him.

I think Tom Ridge's stature has been diminished by the bureaucratic DHS job.

I can't see that happening with Rudy as DCI.

For one thing, there's the mystery of it. There are liberals who are still shrieking about the fact that George Bush the elder was DCI in the seventies.

Beat ya to the punch on this scoop, Ace.

I love the idea. Anyone who can clean house in NYC can handle the CIA. "If you can make it there, you'll make it a-nee-where..."

Unless, of course, the the President's choice for DCI is a slam-dunk.

I'm with you 100% on this one ace.

I was taking a jab at Tenet by saying Rudy's confirmation would be a slam dunk.

Sarcasm doesn't always work on comment boards.