Hayden Cruises Through Intelligence Committee
The Senate Intelligence Committee voted in favor of General Michael Hayden's nomination to head the CIA this afternoon, 12 to 3. As we predicted, notwithstanding Howard Dean's denunciations of Gen. Hayden, very few Democrats wanted to be on the wrong side of the terrorist surveillance issue.
The three Democrats who voted "No" were Feingold, Wyden and Bayh. Two of the three, Feingold and Wyden, are quoted in the CNN story linked above, while only one Republican, Pat Roberts, is quoted. In CNN's view, apparently, even when the administration's candidate is approved by a lopsided 12-3 vote, it's the minority opinion that is the story.
