Hayden is the Last Straw -- Senator Feinstein has to Go 
"We need a respected competent intelligence professional who can respect and manage this growing agency. Based on what I know so far, General Mike Hayden appears to fit that bill."
Think again senator.
It's a military officer's sworn duty to refuse to obey illegal orders. As an auther wrote in the Navy Times (warning: doc file):
According to military legal studies, a lawful order must be reasonably linked to military needs, be specific and not be contrary to established law -- the Constitution, United States or other laws -- or be beyond the authority of the person issuing the command.In other words, Hayden had a legal, Constitutional, and moral obligation not to conduct the illegal spying that's characterized his recent career. He's a disgrace to his uniform, and unworthy of any position of public responsibility. Someone who betrays the Constitution as Hayden has done deserves the label "un-American."
3. And Hayden displayed gross ignorance of the Constituion that he has sworn to protect. Surely, the next CIA Chief should know that "probable cause" is the legal standard that protects Americans from "unreasonable searches and seizures."
The news was everywhere:
The Wall Street Journal reports:
"lawmakers from both parties said yesterday that there are concerns the military's growing involvement in intelligence collection, both overseas and domestically, could threaten Americans' civil liberties."
The Bush policy "most closely identified with Hayden is the program to intercept without court-approved warrants international calls and e-mails in the USA involving at least one person suspected of ties to terrorists."
And the result according to the New York Times:
"none of the Republican or Democratic lawmakers who appeared on television on Sunday or who were interviewed separately said directly that they would vote against General Hayden's nomination." But House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Peter Hoekstra's "remarks, coupled with similar sentiments expressed by leading Senate Republicans, including Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggest that the general might not have an easy ride toward confirmation."
In addition...
The CBS Evening News said that "surprisingly," Hoekstra, "a key Republican...came out fiercely opposed to a Hayden nomination."
Speaker Hastert came out against Hayden -- denouncing the nomination as a "Power Grab" by Iran-Contra criminal John Negroponte.
Speaker Dennis Hastert "has come out against the nomination of...Hayden to head the CIA, calling the ousting of former Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.) from the agency's top post 'a power grab' by John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence." Hastert is "concerned that installing a top-ranking military official at the 'CIA would give too much influence over the US intelligence community to the Pentagon.'"
Even Trent Lott, showed some pause when he said on CNN's The Situation Room, "Obviously I withhold final judgment until I see how the hearings go and see if there's any major problem that develops, but right now my predisposition is to support this nomination and I think it is a good nomination."
You should do your homework, Ms. Feinstein. But if you did, and you still feel this way about General Hayden, then it's time for you to go.
KEYWORDS: Dianne Feinstein, Michael Hayden, Bush Administration, CIA
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