Goss Video-Tape Snow Job

Today Porter J. Goss abruptly resigned....was fired?....as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Why? The White House and Goss have not been forthcoming.

A little background. Goss served in the House of Representatives from the 14th Congressional District of Florida for almost 18 years before being appointed as the Director of Central Intelligence in 2004, and Director of the CIA on 21 April 2005.

While in the House, Goss served for almost ten years as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and chaired that committee from 1997 until he left in 2004 to direct central intelligence.

During the 107th Congress, Goss co-chaired the joint congressional inquiry into the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Florida in 2000.... House Intelligence Committee.... 9/11 investigation. Goss seems usually to be where the action is. His latest charge was to "revamp" the CIA after the departure of former Director George Tenent.

So is the abrupt departure of Goss simply the result of a turf war and continuing tensions between Goss and his boss, John Negroponte, the first Director of National Intelligence. Was this then the final battle between the two, and Goss lost?

Besides his precipitous resignation, the method of the announcement is very worrying. It was video taped with Goss and President Bush in the Oval office, and released in the late afternoon on a Friday....the traditional time for the release of bad news to a weekend-distracted country. And, releasing this information by video tape avoided pesky reporter questions.

Last Sunday on FOX news, recently appointed White House Chief of Staff, John Bolten, in his first interview since assuming that post, discussed the possibility that the White House would consider no longer televising the daily press briefings to avoid "press posturing."

Is this taped Goss resignation going to be Bolten's newly-minted White House press secretary Tony Snow's approach to his job?

When the Director of the CIA suddenly "resigns," without an explanation given or a replacement "leaked" to the press it is unsettling. These are highly-charged times and the activities of the CIA are vital to the nation's security and well-being.

The Bush White House owes us an explanation. Not a another Snow job.