As soon as news of Petraeus’s resignation broke, guessing who will replace him quickly became Washington’s favorite parlor game. At the top of the list is Michael Morell, whom Mr. Obama quickly named as acting director. He has served as deputy director at the agency since 2010 and regularly briefed the president in the run-up to the Osama bin Laden raid. His confirmation would probably garner bipartisan support.
Also in the running is John Brennan, the chief counterterrorism adviser for the White House and a career CIA staffer. Michael Vickers is also said to be under consideration. Profiled in the bestseller “Charlie Wilson’s War,” Mr. Vickers has worked in intelligence – and special operations – for both the CIA and the Defense Department. Rounding out the list is former lawmaker Jane Harman, who was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee before stepping down to head the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
