I Voted Against General Hayden

I respect General Hayden’s lifetime of public service, and his testimony included some encouraging signs that he learned important lessons from the way intelligence was used to defend the Iraq war.

However, I cannot support General Hayden’s nomination in light of the very serious questions about the scope and legality of the NSA domestic surveillance programs that he helped design, implement, and defend.

Until there is a full accounting of the surveillance program, I cannot in good conscience support a promotion for its chief architect.

We all want the Administration to have strong leaders and the necessary means to gather the best possible intelligence for our foreign policy and national security, especially the war on terrorism.

Those critical goals require a Director of Central Intelligence who will work with Congress – not against us – in our efforts to prevent terrorism and improve our national security laws. We must protect the country while preserving our constitutional freedoms.