OBAMA PICKS PANETTA FOR CIA
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to run the CIA. Panetta was a surprise pick for the post, with no experience in the intelligence world. An Obama transition official and another Democrat disclosed his nomination on a condition of anonymity since it was not yet public. Panetta was director of the Office of Management and Budget and a longtime congressman from California. He served on the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that released a report at the end of 2006 with dozens of recommendations for the reversing course in the Iraq war. Panetta currently directs with his wife Sylvia the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at CSU-Monterey Bay.
Now it isn't every day that one brushes shoulders with someone in a position of mysterious power and potentially nebulous influence over the lives of every American. But in light of Mr. Panetta's most recent career advancement, a'la President-elect Obama, I'm compelled to place a record of this encounter down for digital posterity.
I had just returned to Monterey, after a time of dire poverty up north, Seattle way. Needless to say I was in just as dire a state of poverty in Monterey, but finally had some work lined up, and needed to make some phone calls. I was too broke to even keep a cellphone, so I was routinely surrendering all my loose change to Pac Bell.
I was on Alvarado Street, downtown Monterey, in Ordway Pharmacy. I needed change to use the payphone outside. Since I also needed a number of sundries sold at the pharmacy anyway, I decided to get my change via a purchase. Along the way to the check-out, I also snagged myself a Tootsie Pop. Red. No, the flavor doesn't matter – but the Tootsie Pop is essential to the story.
As I got to the counter, there was one person ahead of me... it was Leon Panetta.
He was getting a prescription filled – and yes, like Gelson's Market in L.A., if you want to see celebrities doing mundane just-like-you-and-me daily tasks, Ordway Pharmacy is one of the places you might want to hang out when on the Monterey Peninsula – just don't let your loitering become too obvious. Bruno's Market in Carmel is great too – Jenn Aniston buying coldcuts... Clint in for a case of Hogsbreath Ale... that kind of stuff. Just remember they are not there to sign autographs – it's their downtime.
Anyway, so I'm standing behind Leon Panetta, holding a tube of toothpaste, a roll of Tums, a Chapstick, a small bottle of Bayer Aspirin and a red Tootsie Pop.
Mr, Panetta completes his transaction, and lingers just a moment to sort out the contents of his shopping bag. I place my stuff on the counter. The clerk asks, as all such clerks are born to do: "Will this be all?"
I don't know why, but my mischievous side bounds forth. "No, I'd like a dollar of my change in quarters, please... and Mr. Panetta's thoughts on achieving world peace in our lifetime, and possibly my lollypop free of charge."
Oh, was I flippin' ASKING FOR IT.
I recall it vividly. Without missing a beat, Mr. Panetta turns, and calmly offers, "Complete peace, globally, will take a great deal of time, patience, and a concerted effort by all the world's leaders. As for the lollypop... you're ON YOUR OWN."
With a trace of a grin on his lips, he casually walks out, his bag neatly folded closed.
Me. And the future head of Central Intelligence. The Tootsie Pop conference. It happened.
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