CIA Dreads Another Neocon White House

The CIA has had a rough run under the Bush White House, and its top brass is worried that a John McCain presidency would be just as bad, reports Mother Jones. In recent years, animosity has defined the relationship between neoconservatives and spies, and McCain’s braintrust is full of neocons perceived as cool to the agency. "McCain would be an absolute disaster," says one ex-spy.

Conservatives accuse the CIA of deliberately interfering with White House goals; McCain himself called the CIA “a rogue organization.” Agents, though, insist that neocons are out to destroy the agency’s independence—“because the CIA tells them things they don’t want to hear,” says one. McCain has diverse advisers and his plans aren’t clear, but the CIA fears neocons “hold the high ground.” (More John McCain stories.)