The Senate has unanimously confirmed outgoing C.I.A. chief Leon Panetta to replace Robert Gates as secretary of defense on July 1, according to Reuters. Given that the vote was 100-0, you can imagine that this was a bit of a love fest. CNN notes that "senators from both sides of the aisle offered effusive praise" for Panetta, who received bipartisan backing during his confirmation hearing earlier in June. The 72-year-old, who was nominated by President Obama, served as President Bill Clinton's chief of staff between 1994 and 1997. Obama has nominated Gen. David Petraeus, who's currently spearheading the war in Afghanistan, to replace Panetta at the C.I.A.

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Uri Friedman