Feinstein slams Obama CIA head pick  —  (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.

REALLY A MYSTERY  —  From an observer up on the Hill ...  And from a career intel professional ...  I used to do a lot of intelligence reporting.  But I haven't really done any to speak of in a few years.  So I'm coming at this cold.  But I feel instinctively suspicious of the congressional reaction to this appointment.

Obama's impressive new OLC chief  —  The Office of Legal Counsel, inside the Justice Department, is probably the most consequential federal government office that remains relatively obscure.  The legal opinions which it issues become, more or less automatically, the official legal position of the Executive Branch.

Not Even the Clintons Would Have Tried This  —  President-elect Obama has made his first completely incomprehensible appointment: Leon Panetta for CIA Director.  No, I'm serious.  Clinton OMB Director and Chief of Staff to head a key intelligence agency.  One can refer to him as an …

Panetta a surprise pick to run the CIA  —  Leon Panetta, a former congressman and Clinton chief of staff, would give Obama a political ally at the helm of the troubled spy agency.  —  Reporting from Washington — In choosing Leon E. Panetta to be the next CIA director …

Panetta On Torture  —  Here's Central Intelligence Agency director-designate Leon E. Panetta, writing about torture, in the Washington Monthly.  Actually, no — he's writing in the Washington Monthly about torture:

Coulter's ‘Today’ show interview canceled  —  Ann Coulter was scheduled to appear on the “Today” show Tuesday morning to promote her new book, “Guilty.”  But it's now been canceled, according to her website.  —  Coulter wrote: “TODAY SHOW AND TODAY SHOW FOURTH HOUR: CANCELLED!”