The knock on President Bush is that he made selections based on personal loyalty rather than qualifications, and Barack Obama has earned praise for moving away from this practice. However, it’s hard to reconcile that narrative of Obama’s appointments with his naming of Leon Panetta — a key political ally with no relevant experience — as director of the CIA during a time of war.  Even Dianne Feinstein was caught off guard by the bizzare pick, according to the NY Times: “‘My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time,’ said Senator Dianne Feinstein who, as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, would be in charge of Mr. Panetta’s confirmation.”