John Negroponte, Silver Spoon and Career Diplomat, Nominated as First Director of National Intelligence.

John Negroponte, son of a Greek shipping magnate, alumnus of Phillips Exeter Academy and another Yalie, has been nominated as the first United States Director of National Intelligence. Negroponte is a career diplomat. Some might think that someone with more intelligence experience would be a better choice. There has also been concern expressed over his connections to Iran-Contra and his allegedly turning a blind eye to death squads while Ambassador to Honduras.

It sometime seems that Bush chooses so many, like him, born to privilege. Granted, you do find the likes of Alberto Gonzales, Rice and others in this administration. This USA TODAY article tells that many of his people are from humble backgrounds and are "up-by-their-bootstraps stories". That, of course, is not Negroponte.

It was pointed out here that his recent nominees are overwhelminly inside the beltway types.

Still, Dubya, and his nominees, are infinitely preferable to that other Yalie from Massachusetts, and who knows what sort of folks he'd have in his administration.