The White House yesterday expressed public anger with Senate Republicans for derailing President Clinton's nomination of Anthony Lake to be CIA director -- while laying blame squarely with Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala.
White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry said Shelby "should be held directly accountable" for the kind of tactics employed by committee staffers that ultimately forced Lake to withdraw his nomination.
"The confirmation process in that committee appears to be hazardous to your health," McCurry said.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., meanwhile, blasted the Intelligence Committee for its "character assassination" of Lake.
While the administration is now searching for a replacement for Lake, it will not be Agriculture Secretary Glickman, who today said he is "absolutely" not interested in being nominated as director of the CIA. "That is not my speculation. I am not interested in that job," Glickman, a former House Intelligence Committee chairman, said when told by reporters that agricultural lobbyists were speculating Clinton might nominate him for the CIA job.
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