Porter Goss: I'm not worthy

Published August 11, 2004 11:54PM (EDT)

The White House says that Porter Goss is the "most qualified man" to run the CIA. Don't tell Porter Goss.

In an interview Michael Moore's producers filmed but didn't use in "Farenheit 9/11," Goss said that, although he served as a CIA agent in the 1960s, he wouldn't be qualified for a job as an agent today.

Moore released the transcript of the March 3 interview Wednesday. According to a Reuters report, Goss told Moore's producers: "I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified."

Goss said he lacked either the language skills or the computer skills required to work for the agency. "I, you know, my language skills were romance languages and stuff. We're looking for Arabists today. I don't have the cultural background probably. And I certainly don't have the technical skills, uh, as my children remind me every day: 'Dad you got to get better on your computer.' Uh, so, the things that you need to have, I don't have."


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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