In addition to making former Sen. Chuck Hagel his nominee to head the Pentagon, President Obama on Monday tapped White House counterterrorism advisor John Brennan to lead the CIA. “In John Brennan, the men and women of the CIA will have the leadership of one of our nation’s most skilled and respected intelligence professionals,” said Obama in his Jan. 7 remarks at the White House introducing Brennan as his choice. If the Senate approves his nomination, Brennan would fill the senior intelligence post that has been vacant since David Petraeus resigned in November after admitting to an extramarital affair. Since then, Michael Morell has been serving as CIA acting director. “A 25-year veteran of the CIA, John knows what our national security demands—intelligence that provides policymakers with the facts, strong analytic insights, and a keen understanding of a dynamic world,” said Obama, who also credited Brennan for being “one of the hardest-working public servants” he’s ever seen. Brennan said it was “a tremendous honor” to be nominated. Obama also thanked Morell, saying he’s “guided the CIA with a steady hand as acting director.” (Obama-Brennan-Morell remarks) (Morell statement)
The push to secure free health insurance for members of the National Guard and Reserve regardless of duty status gained momentum in the past few days, as a bipartisan pair of Senators introduced legislation that would expand coverage and First Lady Jill Biden hosted National Guard leaders for discussions at the White…