DID NEGROPONTE OUST GOSS?

Correspondent Elaine Quijano is reporting on Wolf Blitzer that the reason for Porter Goss' departure from the CNN stems from a difference of views over policy between him and super-chief of intelligence John Negroponte. "Goss’s departure was anything but a surprise – there were sharp differences between Goss and Negroponte," she said. Negroponte wanted changes including moving functions from the CIA to Neg’s group, Goss pushed back, and Bush sided with Negroponte.

Former acting director and deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency John McLaughlin said, "The danger is we could have revolving door directors, which is seldom a good thing."

On Hardball, Norah O'Donnell said she was puzzled that the word is that Goss "wasn't a team player," when he was the hand-picked choice of Bush. Michael Isikoff said that there has been friction and turmoil ever since Goss went to the CIA, but the freaky thing is the suddenness of his resignation. He says that suggests that something "came to their [Bush administration] attention in the last few days" that pushed it over the edge. He said the Dusty Foggo-Duke Cunningham connection may have nothing to Goss's tenure at the CIA, but Goss was Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for most of that time, and the contractors who were at the center of the investigation were seeking contracts with the CIA, so there may be something in that.

Tags: Porter Goss resignation, John Negroponte, Hookergate