Spin Cycle

John Brennan, a former top aide to CIA director George Tenet and an intelligence advisor to Obama, has withdrawn from consideration for CIA director or another top intel post because of criticism of his positions on coercive interrogation and detention.

Brennan, in a letter, complains that he has been unfairly attacked, but says he doesn't want to become a distraction:

"It has been immaterial to the critics that I have been a strong opponent of many of the policies of the Bush administration such as the preemptive war in Iraq and coercive interrogation tactics, to include waterboarding. The fact that I was not involved in the decisionmaking process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored. Indeed, my criticism of these policies within government circles was the reason why I was twice considered for more senior-level positions in the current Administration only to be rebuffed by the White House."

One of his critics is here.