Leon Panetta

Leon Panetta, former House Budget Committee chairman, former OMB director, former White House chief of staff, and former California congressman has been nominated by President-elect Obama to be the next director of the CIA.

I've known Leon for more than two decades.  If you're looking for someone from outside the agency who is an honest broker, a great inside player, and as good at dealing with Congress as there is, Leon absolutely is the right person for the job.

But Leon will add one more thing to the Obama administration: yet another very strong budget expert inside the cabinet room.  While his primary responsibility will obviously be the CIA, we shouldn't discount the additional expertise he'll bring when he sets up shop again in D.C., or in this case Langley, VA.

First when he was OMB director and then as chief of staff in the Clinton White House, Leon Panetta was famous (some might say infamous) for negotiating with congressional Republicans on the budget. He'd negotiate a deal in private and then either denounce it publically or come back the next day demanding something more. He was one of the reasons the Clinton administration ran circles around the GOP congressional majority that, led by Newt Gingrich, was assumed to be in control.