TIME: Top House Republican may oppose CIA nominee

RAW STORY
Published: Monday May 8, 2006

House Speaker Dennis Hastert signaled he may oppose the White House's selection of Gen Michael Hayden to run the CIA, according to a story posted Monday at TIME.com.

"The Speaker believes they should not have a military person leading the CIA, a civilian agency," Ron Bonjean, Hastert's communications director, told TIME.

"Bonjean was confirming the tone of comments Hastert made at an appearance in Aurora, Ill., in which Hastert praised Goss and said moving Hayden to CIA smacked of a 'power grab' by Negroponte - adding that Negroponte had visited Hastert's office last week and not noted any problems with Goss.

"Hastert had been one of Goss' closest friends on Capitol Hill. By contrast, Hastert said today that he didn't know Hayden and that the general had never paid him a visit. While Hasert runs the house and Hayden's nomination will be decided by the Senate, the speaker's comments will carry significant weight among Republicans in both chambers."

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