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Porter Goss Resigns

By TChris, Section Other Politics
Posted on Fri May 05, 2006 at 12:09:17 PM EST
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by TChris

Breaking news:

CIA Director Porter Goss has resigned, President Bush said Friday.

Wonkette asks whether this abrupt announcement precedes new news of a scandal.

Update: Here's "a primer on the connection between Goss and the Cunningham scandal," courtesy of Think Progress.

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    Porter Goss Resigns | 21 comments (21 topical)
    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:17:14 AM EST
    Tears, I tell you, copious tears. I cannot express, ahem, my sadness at this highly imaginative and able man's resignation. He was bad enough in Congress. Here, running the most secretive (Orwellian?) department in the federal government, I can't imagine.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:18:43 AM EST
    The Daily Muck has been following this from the start.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#3)
    by chew2 on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:48:04 AM EST
    I'm crossing my fingers.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#4)
    by Punchy on Fri May 05, 2006 at 12:33:19 PM EST
    Nobody--and I repeat, nobody--in this admin resigns willingly. If they do (see: Libby, Scooter), it's due to legal problems (see: Delay, Tom). Goss is in trouble.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 12:59:17 PM EST
    Needs to spend more time with his family.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#6)
    by Sailor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 01:05:08 PM EST
    Ya beat me to it Oscar! My favorite part is about the limo service they used to transport ho's across state lines for immoral porpoises.
    Another piece of the puzzle is Shirlington Limousine and Transportation Inc., the firm that Wilkes used to "transport congressmen, CIA officials, and perhaps prostitutes to his Washington parties." Shirlington's president, Christopher Baker, has a "lengthy history of illegal activity," detailed in his 62-page rap-sheet which "runs from at least 1979 through 1989 and lists charges of petty larceny, robbery, receiving stolen goods, assault, and more."
    But how could this happen?
    A spokesman for the department did announce that Homeland Security routinely does not conduct background checks on its contractors.
    Homeland Security doesn't do security checks on companies they hire!? This whole misAdministration is corrupt and incompetent.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#7)
    by squeaky on Fri May 05, 2006 at 03:06:57 PM EST
    From TPM Muckraker
    I've heard it a bit more bluntly: Goss was told to fire Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, his troublesome Executive Director, and Goss refused. That's what we're hearing now from knowledgeable sources. But there's a lot of contradictory information. We'll bring you more as the picture becomes clearer.
    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Fri May 05, 2006 at 03:11:51 PM EST
    Update: Spencer Ackerman gets a flat out denial from CIA public affairs that Goss's resignation has anything to do with CIA Executive Director Dusty Foggo.
    War & Peace And she reposts the picture with Goss, McCarthy, and Buechner.
    Talk about Saturday night massacre. And Goss's close staff are almost certain to depart with him, Rep. Jane Harman just said on NPR. Will the last one left turn off the light?
    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#9)
    by squeaky on Fri May 05, 2006 at 03:54:50 PM EST
    It sure is interesting the difference between the commenters on this thread and the thread about Patrick Kennedy's accident. Must mean something. Let's see. National security, embezzlement, defense contracts, pimps on the federal payroll... Goss, Foggo, Negroponte, Cunningham, Wade, Wilkes, and more. Russert gives us the sonambulist version: It was planned for weeks, just rearranging the deck chairs.... Kennedy gets special treatment by police or not debate. Admits drug problem and goes into treatment. Huge story. I guess that Republician scandals and criminal activity is so old had by now that it gets a yawn from our peanut gallery. While news of a Democrat getting into trouble is fresh, unusual and worth milking every last drop out of. Makes sense, sorta.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#10)
    by john horse on Fri May 05, 2006 at 05:26:41 PM EST
    Squeaky, You must have been reading my mind because I was thinking along the same lines. The impact of Goss's resignation has far more effect on our country than any problem that Patrick Kennedy has. However, this overreaction to Kennedy and underreaction to Goss is understandable. By pointing fingers at minor distractions like Kennedy they hope that people won't notice the real problems, like the corruption and incompetence that has characterized the Bush administration. Its the old GOP WMD (weapon of mass deception) at work.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#11)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri May 05, 2006 at 05:54:42 PM EST
    Further questions regarding Mr. Goss's resignation should be referred to the hospitality suite, 10th floor, Watergate Hotel, Washington, DC. Tell 'em Dukestir sent ya. Picture the scene in Dr. Strangelove in the hotel room with Buck and his "secretary". Powerful men doing their duty for God and country. (That woman did a great job playing the role) I watched the first segment of "The Sedation Room" and Wolfie spent 3 min on Goss, 3 minutes on Plame/Libby, and 9 minutes on Kennedy, complete with closeups of the (possible ) bar he was at, and the citation. Oh and the DC cops are also on the Kennedy payroll. Pat Kennedy has saved the day for the right.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#12)
    by jondee on Fri May 05, 2006 at 06:31:23 PM EST
    Again I ask, how does a limo service (especially this paricular limo service) wind up with a $21 mil Homeland Security contract?

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#13)
    by jondee on Fri May 05, 2006 at 06:52:07 PM EST
    The WOT is beginning to look more and more like a code-phrase for rapacious republican feeding frenzy. Btw, Any more word on that missing $10 bil ? Oil-For-Food this.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Fri May 05, 2006 at 08:20:45 PM EST
    jondee
    Again I ask, how does a limo service (especially this particular limo service) wind up with a $21 mil Homeland Security contract?
    Especially when it was not even licensed to run a transport service, in the areas it was allegedly providing for. I think it just had to do with the politicians shady relationship to organized crime. Money laundering campaign contributions stuff. Ties that go back to Iran Contra.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#15)
    by Edger on Sat May 06, 2006 at 01:44:36 AM EST
    RedState: Porter Goss
    Some folks have accused us of ignoring "the biggest story of the week." Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is a beautiful Friday afternoon and a lot of us are preparing to sneak out of work to "spend more time with our families."
    ? Powerline: Porter Goss
    zzzzzzz.....
    ?

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#16)
    by Edger on Sat May 06, 2006 at 01:52:21 AM EST
    Che: Wolfie spent 3 min on Goss, 3 minutes on Plame/Libby, and 9 minutes on Kennedy Poor Porter, Obviously this happened only because Patrick Kennedy was asleep at the wheel. Breaking: Porter Goss to Enter Mayo Clinic for Treatment of Sex Addiction

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat May 06, 2006 at 03:51:54 AM EST
    Kennedy crash has this story sidetracked, Is it a little or well known fact. Some would gainsay, About the wordplay. CIA Caught In the Act.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#18)
    by john horse on Sat May 06, 2006 at 04:40:24 AM EST
    As CIA Director, Goss conducted a partisan witchhunt inside the CIA in an attempt to politicize the organization, replacing career analysts with partisan hacks like Dusty "Hookergate" Foggo. You would think that the Iraq quagmire demonstrated the need to have an independent nonpartisan source of intelligence but Bush and Goss thought otherwise. While Goss won't be missed, the career analysts who were forced out by Goss will be. Their expertise is needed now more than ever.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#19)
    by squeaky on Sat May 06, 2006 at 09:25:00 AM EST
    Larry Johnston says Goss and Foggo were not involved with the prostitutes. He also says that Goss had nothing to do with Foggo's hire to #3 in the CIA. He does blame Goss for politicizing the CIA and the ensuing loss of talent there as a result. He is usually a good source for this kind of thing. The grain of salt would be that he is big defender of the reputation of the CIA and may err on the side of stanching the bleed rather than opening wounds. Worth a read in any case.

    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#20)
    by squeaky on Sat May 06, 2006 at 09:28:17 AM EST
    Oh, and the reason Goss resigned, Johnson speculates, is:
    A former CIA buddy tells me that Porter's main problem, however, is a key staffer who is linked to both Brent Wilkes and the CIA's Executive Director, Dusty Foggo. My friend also said that it is highly likely that the Goss staffer did participate in the hooker extravaganza. Goss, politician that he is, probably recognized that even though he did not participate in the sexual escapades and poker games, his staffer's participation created a huge problem for him that would be difficult to escape.
    Re: Porter Goss Resigns (none / 0) (#21)
    by squeaky on Sat May 06, 2006 at 09:49:00 AM EST
    Every time I read this I cannot believe that it is actually true. Homeland Security?
    Officials said Baker's criminal record, which includes numerous misdemeanors and two felony convictions, would not have affected the company's bid. When the agency contracts with a company, officials said, they do not check the criminal backgrounds of its executives -- nor do they run their names against the government's terrorist watch list. In Shirlington Limousine's case, only the drivers' backgrounds were checked.[emphasis mine]
    WaPo via digby

    Porter Goss Resigns | 21 comments (21 topical)