WASHINGTON — The Pentagon's top intelligence official emerged as the leading choice Friday for what's fast becoming known as one of the most thankless jobs in Washington — director of national intelligence. The position has a great title, but the office has just claimed its third victim.
James R. Clapper, now the defense undersecretary for intelligence, is the White House's leading candidate to replace retired Adm. Dennis Blair, who is resigning, two current U.S. officials and one former military official say. Another candidate is Mike Vickers, the Pentagon's assistant secretary for special operations, officials say, but a Defense Department official says he has not been contacted for an interview.
With three previous intelligence directors all saying the same thing — the job description itself is flawed — who would want it?
Candidates who were considered but apparently are no longer in the running include Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and John Hamre, a national security veteran who heads the private Center for Strategic and International Studies. The word on both, officials say, is that they thought about it but didn't want the job.
The popular refrain from across the IC, as the intelligence community calls itself, is that the DNI has "all the responsibility and none of the authority". Link
