It seems that the Bushies have slipped this gem past Congress and maybe even the press since it didn't seem like a big deal on CNN this morning.
Under the order, the director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, will gain primary responsibility for developing relationships with foreign intelligence agencies that had been traditionally handled by the Central Intelligence Agency.
He would also assume a larger role in hiring and firing agency heads and overseeing the acquisition of new spy satellites and other expensive programs.
The Director of National Intelligence is a person that answers directly to the President. So if I read this correctly the executive branch just got the ability to "develop relationships" with other spy agencies from the CIA. I wonder if they get to look at that foreign government's secret info without having to go through the CIA first.
The DNI can also fire any agency head that displeases them so it puts the CIA on notice that their jobs would be on the line if they cross the President. The Director also gets to veto the purchase of spy satellites and other big ticket items that the CIA might like to buy. This move looks to me like the Bushies are getting revenge for that 2003 Iranian National Intelligence Estimate that put them at a diplomatic disadvantage at the nuclear talks.
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