Supporters work to keep Hayden at CIA

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By Sara A. Carter

Others mentioned for the CIA post include Rep. Jane Harman, California Democrat, and Donald M. Kerr Jr., a longtime CIA official who is currently the deputy director of national intelligence.

Chief CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield told The Times that Mr. Hayden has tried to "ignore" rumors about whether he will stay on the job or be succeeded.

"As Director Hayden has said, with every transition comes all sorts of speculation about personnel changes across government," Mr. Mansfield said. "Director Hayden understands that he serves at the pleasure of the president, and he is focused on running the CIA."

Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell said in a Nov. 12 speech that he and Mr. Hayden, if asked "to stay on for some reason, for a period of time, we would stay and assist them in the transition."

Mr. Obama is expected to meet with Mr. Hayden in the near future for a briefing on the state of the war, a senior intelligence official said.

In the meantime, Hayden supporters have tried to disassociate the CIA director from the Bush administration counterrorism detention and interrogation programs that Mr. Obama routinely railed against during his campaign.

"Waterboarding, which was used on three hardened terrorists, hasn't been used since 2003. That is more than three years before Mike Hayden became the director of CIA," said an intelligence source with knowledge of the subject.

The source added that current administration policies and U.S. laws directed the CIA's actions.

"If the president says he doesn't want something done, that's it," the source said. "These are his programs."

Numerous intelligence officials, who have spoken to The Times said that morale is higher and that there has been a "clear focus on the mission."

An intelligence official added that Mr. Hayden's ability to play "offense against terrorists" has "helped keep the country safe."

"Mike Hayden has done a lot of good over there," the official said. "If the new administration goes in a different direction, Mike will leave the place in far better shape than he found it. That's indisputable."