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Obama's Big Gamble
...in the war on terror, a lack of quick intelligence could make you dead.

Who knew Leon Panetta was really James Bond? The 70-year-old former Congressman is considered a very nice guy in the political world, a world that is anything but nice. But now Mr. Panetta is being taped by President-elect Obama to be a tough guy spy, the head of the CIA.

The choice is perplexing. Mr. Panetta is very smart but has absolutely no intel experience unless you count his days as Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff. Some old hands inside the CIA are reportedly aghast at the choice. Former CIA guy Michael Scheuer, who headed up the agency's Bin Laden unit, put it succinctly: "I think they pulled his name out of a hat."

Besides his lack of experience, Panetta opposes many of the CIA's anti-terror measures. He's against any kind of coerced interrogation, wants the FISA overseas wiretap law repealed and would completely disband the rendition program whereby the CIA sends captured terror suspects to be held and interrogated in other countries.

Continue reading the full column...

Here are some of the highlights you can look forward to on upcoming installments* of The Radio Factor and The O'Reilly Factor:

• Frequent Factor guests Larry Elder and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill will discuss whether figures like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are "out" because of Obama's election...
• The National Geographic Channel's Dr. Brady Barr will fill us in on his latest expedition, where he encountered deadly sharks, snakes and more...
• Glenn Beck, the newest addition to the Fox News Channel family, will join us for a regular segment on Fridays...

* Lineups and schedules are always subject to change based on breaking news.

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