WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that she intends to support President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for CIA chief, Leon Panetta, despite her earlier comments that she had reservations about the choice.
Obama chose Panetta, a former White House chief of staff who has no formal background in the intelligence community, without consulting with Feinstein. He subsequently apologized to her for the lapse.
Feinstein said she spoke with Panetta for about 20 minutes on Tuesday evening and came away reassured.
“I had a good discussion with him. I’m confident that he understands. I am supportive,” Feinstein said. “I’ve known him for 20 years. I know him to be a man of credibility and a man of conscience and a man of talent, and I believe he will surround himself with top-notch staff from the intelligence community.”
