Sen. Graham calls on DNI Clapper to resign

Or be fired.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in an exclusive interview with Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron, called for Gen. James Clapper to resign or be fired as Director of National Intelligence, citing his comments before the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, on which Graham sits.

Clapper had stated his belief that the Qaddafi regime, in the long term would “prevail,” and also assessed China and Russia to be primary threats to the United States.

Graham told Cameron that he lacks confidence in Clapper’s understanding of his job, that President Obama should “repudiate” Clapper’s remarks, and that this is the third time Clapper has faltered in this way.

“Three strikes and you’re out,” Graham said.

Graham attracts his share of criticism. But he’s right on this: Clapper has shown vast ignorance three times in public, on matters directly pertaining to his job atop the US intelligence agencies.

Strike One: He had no clue on an unfolding terror sweep going on in the UK.

Strike Two: Clapper claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood is a mostly secular, non-violent group.

And now Strike Three, the bit about China and Russia posing a mortal threat to the US, but Iran and North Korea (and evidently radical Islam), not so much. It’s time for Clapper to go. But perhaps more importantly, it’s time for all of his staff and briefers to go, too. They failed him in Strikes One and Two.