SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2010
KLMNO POLITICS THE NATION &
Clapper brings sense of humor to serious job
New intelligence chief includes light touches in briefing for senior staff
by Ellen Nakashima Let no one accuse the nation’s new di-
rector of national intelligence of lacking a sense of humor. In a PowerPoint briefing of senior staff last week, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper outlined his sober vi- sion: to unite the traditionally separate missions of intelligence collection and analysis and to shrink and flatten the in- telligence bureaucracy.
But he included a slide of the hood or- nament from a Mack truck. Below the im- age was this phrase: “the only surviving sound-bite from 3+ hours.” It was a wry reference to one of his more-memorable utterances from his July confirmation hearing, in which he pledged not to be a “titular figurehead or a hood ornament.” Clapper, 69, showed flashes of humor in the presentation, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, as well as an understanding that the intelligence community would benefit from better co- ordination. At the beginning of the PowerPoint, titled “Leading the IC: A ‘Re- set,” he repurposed an old cartoon by Post cartoonist Herblock that shows a dis- jointed complex of castle towers and oth- er buildings, each flying a different spy agency flag, evoking the disunity of the intelligence community. The caption reads, “What’s wrong with this picture?” Clapper, now into his second week as DNI, is the fourth person to serve as intel- ligence director since the position was created in 2005. He replaced Adm. Den- nis C. Blair, who was nudged out by the White House after clashes with CIA Di- rector Leon Panetta. In the presentation, he indicated that his approach would be reminiscent of his leadership of what was the National Im- agery and Mapping Agency. The agency, which he ran from 2001 to 2006, was marked by “internal dysfunction,” he said, and he set out to tear down the “two stovepipes” of the imagery and mapping functions. The agency was renamed the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
to reflect a single mission. Clapper, whose dislike for hierarchical organizations is well known, outlined a community structure that at least on pa- per looks relatively horizontal. He is, for instance, eliminating a layer of deputies at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and pushing their jobs down into the organization. He has created the job of deputy direc- tor for intelligence integration to unify the collection and analysis tasks. “It shows a refreshingly new way of thinking about what this job is about,” said Mark M. Lowenthal, a former senior CIA official. “I’m upbeat about this job for the first time since it was created. It’s our last chance to get it right.” Others said Clapper, who has also
served as director of the Defense Intelli- gence Agency, might be flattening too much. “For his first shot, he’s overshoot- ing the mark and will trim back where it doesn’t make sense,” another former CIA official said. “He’s not afraid to reorganize and reorganize and reorganize and reor- ganize. This is not a secret. Jim must have reorganized DIA and NGA 182 times. He’s not afraid to second-guess himself.” In the presentation, Clapper held up as
a role model Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who as CIA director from 1991 to 1993, led the intelligence community be- fore there was a DNI. Gates had a long ca- reer in intelligence before becoming CIA director. Clapper also took note of what he called in his presentation the “we-be” fac- tor, the notion that there will always be “a cadre of people whose attitude is, ‘We be here when you show up, and we be here when you leave,’ ” Lowenthal said. In a nod to the importance of Congress,
Clapper observed that “Keeping the Hill Happy” was “an imperative.” Afinal slide showed he was under no il- lusions about the pressure and expecta- tions he faced. He had adapted a cartoon by Daryl Cagle of
Slate.com depicting a grim Clapper in an Uncle Sam hat at the wheel of a car, labeled “Leading the IC: A Re-set.” The car is packed with children imploring: “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
nakashimae@washpost.com
Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
DIGEST
In pep talk, Biden tells Democrats they’re safe
Associated Press
st. louis — Vice President Biden pre- dicted Friday that voters would reject a “Republican tea party” of extreme candi- dates and that Democrats would retain control of Congress inNovember. In a pep talk for the party’s rank and
MATT YORK/ASSOCIATED PRESS
IN CUSTODY: Former fugitive John McCluskey arrives at Apache County Superior Court in St. Johns, Ariz., on Friday. McCluskey, who escaped from a Kingman, Ariz., prison July 30, was captured Thursday with his fiancee at a campground.
FLORIDA
Navy panel recommends ex-astronaut’s discharge The NASA astronaut who drove from
Houston to Orlando to confront her rival in a love triangle should be separated from the Navy with a less-than-honor- able discharge, a military panel recom- mended Thursday. A Navy board of inquiry in Jackson- ville, Fla., also recommended that Lisa Nowak be reduced in rank from a cap- tain to a commander. The panel’s report will go to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who has the final say in the matter. Nowak would lose all military pen- sions and benefits if she is dishonorably discharged. Nowak, a Rockville native, flew a space shuttle mission in 2006 and had a romantic relationship with shuttle pilot William A. Oefelein, a Navy commander. She pleaded guilty last November to fel- ony burglary and misdemeanor battery after confronting Air Force Capt. Col- leen Shipman, her rival for Oefelein’s heart, in February 2007. NASA dis- missed Nowak, and she was reassigned by the Navy shortly after her arrest. Her story caught wide attention amid
news reports that she wore a diaper dur- ing the trip to avoid making bathroom stops. She later denied that.
Oefelein retired from the Navy in 2008 and announced his engagement to Shipman in 2009. At last report, the cou- ple was operating a freelance writing and photography business in Alaska, ac- cording to NBC.
—Ed O’Keefe TEXAS
Defense Dept. issues final report on Ft. Hood attack
Nine months after 13 people were killed in shootings at Fort Hood, the De- fense Department has released a report saying that the military needs to be more aware of signs of potential work- place violence. The department’s final report on the shootings last November at the Army post was released Friday. It also recom- mends expanding military installations’ emergency response capabilities and making sure supervisors have access to soldiers’ personnel records. Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan is
charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted pre- meditated murder in the shootings. In October, a military judge will hear witness testimony to determine whether the case against Hasan should go to trial.
—Associated Press
file, the vice president challenged the widespread notion that significant losses in House races, and perhaps the Senate, could cost the party its comfortable ma- jorities — a possibility White House press secretary Robert Gibbs suggested last month before saying Democrats will hang onto the House. “On November 3 . . . there will be in
Washington, D.C., a Democratic majority in the House and a Democratic majority in the Senate,” Biden said to the Demo- cratic National Committee. And, he said, Democrats will do better than expected in gubernatorial races, too. “If it weren’t illegal, I’d make book on
it,” Biden quipped. The vice president said voters’ anger and frustration was understandable, giv- en persistently high unemployment and a sluggish recovery. But he also ex- pressed confidence that they would stick with President Obama because “the choice is between Democrats and the Re- publican tea party. It’s between Demo- crats and the party of repeal and repeat.” “They’re offering more of the past but on steroids,” Biden said, adding that the GOP was “out of step with where the American people are.” The DNC was holding a two-day meet-
ing to get a status report on preparations for the midterm elections and approve changes to the 2012 presidential primary calendar and nominating convention. The committee approved changes to the calendar. Democrats will hold the Iowa caucuses Feb. 6, and the New Hampshire primary eight days later, Feb. 14.
The DNC also limited the influence of the independent superdelegates in choosing the party’s nominee.
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