Transition talk: Leon's den

Obama taps oceans advocate Leon Panetta to head CIA 3

Muckraker: Grist on Politics

Obama is poised to nominate Leon Panetta to head the CIA, according to news reports today. Panetta is a long-time advocate for ocean protection, though he’s not likely to get much sway in this area as CIA chief.

Panetta has been the chair and commissioner of the Pew Oceans Commission since 2003. In 2005, Pew joined with the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy to create the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, which Panetta now co-chairs. He is also a board member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. While in Congress, Panetta was active on efforts to protect the California coast, and sponsored legislation to create the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. He continues to be active with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Panetta represented California’s 16th district in the House from 1977 to 1993, and was Bill Clinton’s chief of staff from 1994 to 1997. Since then, he and his wife have founded the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University at Monterey Bay. He is also the Distinguished Scholar to the Chancellor of the California State University system, and teaches political science at Santa Clara University.

Kate Sheppard is Grist’s political reporter.

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  1. sunflower's avatar

    sunflower Posted 8:34 am
    05 Jan 2009

    Get SmartAcidic stagnate oceans from CO2 are the number-one threat to our continuing existence.  Nothing is more important than the link between ocean health and past mass extinctions.
    There is no greater threat to our national security.
    And perhaps we can stop using sonar to spy on subs from a bygone era.
  2. Tasermons Partner Posted 10:21 am
    05 Jan 2009

    Jurisdiction...There is no greater threat to our national security.
    Perhaps, but still, that doesn't fall under the administration of the CIA, and most likely never will.
    And perhaps we can stop using sonar to spy on subs from a bygone era.
    Unfortunately, that fall under under the Navy's and Naval Intelligence's Jurisdiction, not the CIA's.
  3. aquaken Posted 3:58 am
    06 Jan 2009

    Aquarium roleSmall clarification: Leon Panetta is a member of the board of trustees at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Our Executive Director is Julie Packard. -- Ken Peterson, Monterey Bay Aquarium

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