5. What to make of Leon Panetta?
For at least six months, arguably more water cooler time in the Pentagon has
been spent talking about Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's successor than his
legacy. That should tell you something. Panetta came to DoD as a defense hawk
and budget guru, bolstered by the successful Bin Laden raid and his resume as
White House budget chief and House Budget Committee chairman. In his first few months,
Panetta helped forge the civilian-military partnership that wrote the Pentagon
budget. But he also proved unable to move Congress one inch on sequester. Maybe
that game is above his paygrade, but by the end of summer, Panetta was a lame
duck in many Washington eyes. The jury is out on what, exactly, Panetta will be
remembered for at the Pentagon when he heads back to his California walnut farm
next year.
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