Hastert on Hayden and Goss

Okay, this isn't Hastert himself, but a spokesman, but still....

But it might not be enough to get everyone's support. House Speaker Dennis Hastert added his voice to those of influential Republicans signaling they may oppose the White House's quick pick of a military officer to run CIA. "The Speaker believes they should not have a military person leading the CIA, a civilian agency," Ron Bonjean, Hastert's communications director, told time this evening. 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.

Harriet Miers. Dubai Ports. Immigration. After all these mistakes, the Bush administration appears to have nominated Michael Hayden without running him by Congress first. I thought that was one of the main elements of the "new blood" campaign of turnover in the White House, to improve relations with Capitol Hill.