Newsweek Porter Goss was supposed to fix the CIA. In naming him director in August, President George W. Bush promised that Goss would be a "force for positive change." But critics say the former GOP congressman may only be adding to the agency's troubles.

Last week Goss's pick for executive director, the CIA's No. 3 job, withdrew after it was reported that the nominee, Michael Kostiw, had been forced to leave the agency in 1982 because he was caught shoplifting. NEWSWEEK has learned that Goss was informed of Kostiw's past problems before nominating him, but that Goss did not tell the White House. Some agency professionals and Goss's former House colleagues point to other dubious picks.

The new director has also brought over, as his senior staff, several partisan officials from the House intel committee with little management experience. The Goss staffers now have sweeping but amorphous jobs as "senior advisers" to the new CIA chief. Still, "people shouldn't overanalyze this," says one intel official. "These folks are getting settled and deserve some time on the job."

—Michael Hirsh and Mark Hosenball

© 2004 Newsweek, Inc