Senior White House officials, Republican senators and even Lake himself advanced Tenet's name as a non-controversial way to bring a new chief to a CIA that has been without a confirmed director since early December. Other names were on President Clinton's short list, but Tenet was the only candidate undergoing a final White House review and could be nominated as early as today.
"I have a lot of respect for him. We believe he's capable," said Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the man who orchestrated much of the criticism of Lake that led to his withdrawing his name Monday night. Shelby indicated the committee could move quickly on a Tenet nomination - in sharp contrast to the drawn-out consideration of Lake's nomination.
White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said Clinton wanted to move quickly but was not ready yesterday to fill the vacancy left by the departure in last year's post-election shuffle of John Deutch. Senior White House officials who spoke anonymously said Clinton's staff was pushing Tenet's candidacy in private meetings with the president.
In an unsolicited appraisal, McCurry told reporters that the front-running Tenet "does a spectacular job and has a great reputation inside the agency. I think he's very well liked on the Hill."
Without mentioning Tenet by name, Clinton suggested his list was down to one name.
"I would ask you to respect the fact that we have to do some review of our own before we send a name up there," Clinton told reporters. "It's really not fair to put someone out on the line on this until we know that the president is in fact determined to nominate him or her."
Other Republicans echoed Shelby's favorable comments toward Tenet. And after the ordeal experienced by Lake, White House officials were listening carefully.
"Barring something I don't know about, he looks like he'd be a good choice," said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
Tenet, unlike Lake, has been previously confirmed by the Senate. In 1995 the Senate confirmed him as deputy CIA director, the agency's No. 2 post, after Tenet got a unanimous endorsement from the Intelligence Committee.
If Clinton chose Tenet, it would not be the first time he had selected a well-liked deputy after the failure of a controversial national security nomination. In 1994 after Adm. Bobby Inman dropped out of the running for defense secretary, Clinton chose Deputy Defense Secretary William Perry and the Senate quickly confirmed him.
Tenet started out in Washington on the staff of the late Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.) and moved from there to the staff of the Intelligence Committee where he served as staff director for four years. During Clinton's first term, Tenet served on Lake's National Security Council staff as principal intelligence adviser.
Lake, a close friend of Tenet, recommended him for the job in a Monday night conversation with Clinton, a senior official said.
Other possible candidates were Morton Abramowitz, the outgoing head of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and longtime Clinton friend Strobe Talbott, the No. 2 State Department official. But neither was in the same tier as Tenet, aides said.
Colleagues of outgoing Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, once considered for the CIA job, said she was not interested in the job. Former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) said he wasn't either.
As the scramble to find a CIA director unfolded, the White House and Senate Republicans exchanged barbs on the handling of Lake's confirmation.
"The president feels that the process that Tony went through was inexcusably flawed," McCurry said.
Clinton called the episode "an example of what's wrong with Washington," but avoided making the fight worse as he tried to lure Republicans toward a balanced budget agreement. Recovering from knee surgery, Clinton summoned reporters to the Red Room near his private residence to defend Lake's integrity. "If it had been up to me, I'd be here a year from now still fighting for him," the president said.
Shelby rejected suggestions that he had politicized the confirmation process, noting that Lake himself had praised Shelby last week for his fair handling of public hearings.
In a long letter to Clinton delivered Monday, Lake listed a host of reasons for his withdrawal and said he was the victim of a political process "gone haywire."
On Monday Tenet ordered the CIA to investigate reports that Democratic Party Chairman Don Fowler had pressed the NSC in 1995 to invite a prominent donor to high-level meetings and then asked the CIA to forward the NSC a report on the donor. Lake, who was then national security adviser, said he was never informed of the political pressure.
AP PHOTO
Anthony Lake is sworn in on Capitol HIll Monday before withdrawing.