How high up? How about Obama cabinet-level. This news comes in a longish story about Curveball, the discredited source of some of the bad intel that led to the Iraq war.
Another revelation in the series is the real reason why the FBI swooped on Russian spy Anna Chapman in 2010. Top officials feared the glamorous Russian agent wanted to seduce one of US President Barack Obama’s inner circle. Frank Figliuzzi, the FBI’s head of counterintelligence, reveals how she got “closer and closer to higher and higher ranking leadership… she got close enough to disturb us”.
The fear that Chapman would compromise a senior US official in a “honey trap” was a key reason for the arrest and deportation of the Russian spy ring of 10 people, of which she was a part, in 2010. “We were becoming very concerned,” he says. “They were getting close enough to a sitting US cabinet member that we thought we could no longer allow this to continue.” Mr Figliuzzi refuses to name the individual who was being targeted.
Well, doesn’t this just beg for some questions? Who was the sitting member of the Obama cabinet who had a sexy redheaded Russian spy getting a bit too close? Here’s a helpful list of all the cabinet members. Who on that list would be attracted to a mysterious, red-headed socialite with an enchanting foreign accent?
Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. BidenDepartment of State
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
http://www.state.govDepartment of the Treasury
Secretary Timothy F. Geithner
http://www.treasury.govDepartment of Defense
Secretary Leon E. Panetta
http://www.defenselink.milDepartment of Justice
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
http://www.usdoj.govDepartment of the Interior
Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar
http://www.doi.govDepartment of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack
http://www.usda.govDepartment of Commerce
Secretary John E. Bryson
http://www.commerce.govDepartment of Labor
Secretary Hilda L. Solis
http://www.dol.govDepartment of Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
http://www.hhs.govDepartment of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan
http://www.hud.govDepartment of Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood
http://www.dot.govDepartment of Energy
Secretary Steven Chu
http://www.energy.govDepartment of Education
Secretary Arne Duncan
http://www.ed.govDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
http://www.va.govDepartment of Homeland Security
Secretary Janet A. Napolitano
http://www.dhs.govThe following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
White House Chief of Staff
Jack LewEnvironmental Protection Agency
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
http://www.epa.govOffice of Management & Budget
Jeffrey Zients, Acting Director
whitehouse.gov/ombUnited States Trade Representative
Ambassador Ronald Kirk
www.ustr.govUnited States Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Susan Rice
www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Alan B. Krueger
www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea/Small Business Administration
Secretary Karen G. Mills
www.sba.gov/
Chapman may have been a lousy spy, but she does seem to be qualified for the role she is alleged to have played.
Update: Irresponsible speculation as the target’s identity, here.
Ummm, Hillary?
Yes. Obviously.
Yep. Can’t have the Muslims have the only top access to Hillary. I can just see her Saudi top aide making the FBI crack down to prevent someone else moving in.
“crack down” I’m trying NOT to visualise that.
Is it just me, or do we have too damn many people in the cabinet?
What, twenty-three (including the “cabinet-status” posts)is too many? But things are so complicated now. It’s not like it was when Lincoln won the Civil War with seven Cabinet members (including War and Navy, which were combined into Defense, and Postmaster General, which was spun out.) Or when FDR fought WWII with ten cabinet members (including Agriculture, Commerce and Labor.) Now we absolutely have to have at least three or four Secretaries of Trivia and ten more Secretaries of Things that are None of the Government’s Damned Business.
What, do you think twenty-three cabinet members (including the “cabinet-level” posts are too many? But things are so complicated now! It’s not like Lincoln’s time, when he won the Civil War with seven Cabinet members (including War and Navy, which were combined into Defense and Postmaster General, which was spun off). Or FDR’s time, when he fought WWII with ten Cabinent members (Agriculture, Commerce and Labor were added.) Now we absolutely must have at least three or four Secretaries of Trivia and ten more Secretaries of Things that are Absolutely None of the Government’s Business.
Gotta be Hillary.
As for the list…
I thought that was the White House softball team, not the Cabinet!
I thought the MSM was the WH softball team!
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a thread winnah!
I say it was Arne Duncan. He doesn’t really have anything important to do and so has plenty of time to romp around Red.
HaHaHaHaHa. Good one.
Let’s start a pool on who it was!
I claim Steven Chu, as an outlet for all that energy.
Well, she was lousy as far as we KNOW. We were told that she just sat around in an apartment doing nothing while Russia sent her checks — how likely does that seem to you?
Sit around doing nothing while government writes you checks?
Is True Socialism at last, Comrade!
I wouldn’t mind her getting close to me ;D
Panetta was still at the CIA at that time; Gates was Secretary of Defense.
The betting seems to be on Hillary, but I think it could be any one of the many other lesbians in this cabinet.
I think it was Rahm Emanual, who was Chief of Staff at that time (June 2010).
I don’t think the Mayor of Chicago’s screen door opens in that direction.
Are you kidding? He was a ballerina in an earlier incarnation. And if you know anything about ballet and dancers . . .
Gotta be Geithner. He is smart/stupid enough to be taken in by a young red-head. Smart enough to draw a big check from Uncle Sam, but not smart enough to be able to use Turbotax.
Second Geithner. He’s bent enough, and would probably be thrilled to find a woman who’d sleep with him without being paid.
None of the women. If any are lesbians, they’re closeted and unlikely to get it on with a stranger. Also older women aren’t much into sex with younger people (these women are too old to be “cougars”).
Another consideration is which would be a worthwhile target. Agriculture? Commerce? Veterans? Education? Housing? The “hotter” positions would be (in order) VP, Defense, Justice, Treasury, Energy, Transportation, OMB, Interior.
Biden is too old.
Panetta is too smart.
Holder, though… I would not bet against him being a horndawg. Or having a big mouth.
Geithner – a nerd, but nerds are easily suckered by bimbos.
That applies to Chu, too.
Transportation isn’t very hot, but LaHood is a sleaze.
The OMB guy is a temp.
Interior is way down the ladder.
If there’s a pool, I pick Holder.
In 2010:
Panetta wasn’t yet at defense, it was Gates — unlikely
Bryson wasn’t yet at commerce, it was Locke — maybe
Zients wasn’t yet at OMB, it was Orszag — possibly
Lew wasn’t yet Chief of Staff, it was Emanuel — BINGO!
(What “hotter” position is there than the president’s right hand man?)
Orzag! Bingo!
“Biden is too old.”
Old farts are easy targets for a hot young thing! Probably wouldn’t remember what to do with it but still….
Oh, I remember alright. Vaguely…
I’m going with Biden too. He may be old, but as vain and dumb as he is, he’d be easy pickings for some determined spy-vamp.
But for it to Biden, you have to assume he actually knows something worth finding out. Very unlikely.
I’m thinking Geithner. Among other things, he’s more NY-centric than the Chicago group.
Look at it from the Rusklie’s point of view. No point in going after Geithner as he’s destroying the currency already. Not Gates…all military secrets go straight to China anyway and they probably share with Russia, same with Commerce. Labor is straight commie already, as are HHS, Energy, Education, HUD and most of the lawyers in the DOJ. No benefit from going after Transportation, VA, SBA or Interior. Why go after Hillary when they’ve had Bill since the ’80′s? Biden IS a blabbermouth, so they’d leave him alone. Maybe Ag, but only for some good trade deals. That leaves Napolitano.
And Obama.
My bet’s on Biden. He’s an egomaniac and a blabbermouth.
Yep. And he’s a widow. And next in line. Get him all wrapped up, then something unfortunate happens to the Prez, and Bingo! Except that I don’t think Biden could be any more friendly than Obama. But, yeah, he is a blabbermouth.
“Ooo, tell me more! Power is just so sexy!”
– the redhead.
Kagen?
Hillary.
Right?
Cool discussion – really.
His name is not on the list here — which is showing current occupants and not those on the roster as of 2010 — but my money is on Peter Orszag who was running OMB at the time.
A divorced father with custody of children from the first marriage, he dumped his rebound girlfriend just as she was about to give birth to their out-of-wedlock child, and instead proudly announced his engagement to a similarly status-obsessed TV “reporter” with an Eastern European surname.
Full disclosure is that I actually knew Orszag and his family in my and his early teens, when they lived on my street in a Boston suburb. Peter’s current-day image may be that of a “sexy wonk” but the core characteristic was always breathtaking self-regard.
In due time, it’s the kind of characteristic that can get a person in a great deal of trouble, no matter what the level of scholastic achievement. (Sound familiar, Barry?)
Plus, Orszag exited OMB and government service fairly soon after the 2010 elections; it may be pure coincidence or it may be that the FBI asked that he be “pushed.”
Small correction to my comment above: Orszag exited OMB in July 2010 — Chapman was arrested in June 2010. This actually kind of strengthens what I’m suggesting.
Hmm. You may be on to something there.
Apparently, he DOES have a thing for Russian ladies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bianna_Golodryga
And congratulations on the birth of their son!
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/bianna-golodryga-gives-birth-to-baby-boy_b119609
This is preposterous. Remember, President Obama “reset” our relations with Russia. His good friend Vladmir Putin would *never* spy on the US. This is the kind of good faith relations that should encourage President Obama to weaken America’s defenses and be more flexible.
Methinks Danny @19 and 20 has it about right. Orszag had the freedom to chase skirt, loved his playboy-nerd image, was back and forth to NYC all the time, and would have come into contact with her social circles. Right after her arrest, he departs on short notice, on not very good terms, well before most of the first term appointees who went on to cash out and write books. Interesting.
Even though I despise Obama, I might consider working for him to get clkose to that. One thing we know for sure, it wasn’t Obama – not enough facial hair.
Isn’t it interesting that nobody around Obama is totally discounted. Hell of support staff ya got there “Bambi,” Someday they’ll make a movie, “The Manchurian Cabinet.”
Note to the clueless: The Russians already have Øbummer in their pocket.
I say Janet Napolitano. No known boyfriends, ever. “Married” to work. Yeah, right. Lots of valuable intel.
Napoletano? Close your eyes and think of the Motherland (and your paycheck)?
The Orszag thing sounds logical, both on timing matters and on the premise that she could have lived quite well off him for a good long time…
My recollection of the Chapman story is that she largely stayed in NYC. If this story is true, my thought would be that it would have to be someone who spends a lot of time in NYC. My first thought was Geitner, as he was chairman of the NY Fed. Orszag makes sense, however.
It’s too bad she got deported, because she’d have had a great career cosplaying Black Widow at conventions!
Damn, I knew I should have taken that job with the Obama administration.
She was known to hang around Wall St. a lot. However, I’ve heard it said that the target was indeed Hillary. I don’t believe all rumors – this one strikes me as true… strong source.
I’m betting Obama is NOT on good terms with the Russians. Remember the hot mic? My guess is they really don’t like him, especially Medvedev. Probably vlady, too.
You left somebody off the list.