In a strong bi-partisan show of support, the United States Senate on Friday confirmed the nomination of Air Force General Michael Hayden as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Hayden, 61, was approved by a vote of 78 to 15. He would be replacing Porter Goss who was forced out earlier this month.
In a statement after the vote, US President George W Bush said, "General Hayden is a patriot and a dedicated public servant whose broad experience, dedication and expertise make him the right person to lead the CIA at this critical time."
Bush nominated Hayden on May 8 to replace Goss.
The opposition to Hayden came from those Democrats who were against the manner in which he presided over the National Security Agency that ran the eavesdropping operation against American citizens and residents in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
Some lawmakers had argued that irrespective of the compulsions of the time the administration should have carried out wiretapping by obtaining court approval.
But most law makers, Republican and Democrats, have seen Hayden as an accomplished, capable and someone who has an independent streak of thinking in him and therefore would be an asset to the CIA especially at a time when the nodal spy agency is reeling under all kinds of trouble, personnel and operational.
