Here’s an idea…. instead of appointing the chief architect of the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program, Gen. Michael Hayden, as the new CIA Director–how about the chief architect of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), 27-year CIA veteran Ray McGovern?

VIPS is a group of around 35 retired or resigned high-level intelligence operatives who exposed the Bush administration’s misuse and abuse of pre-war intelligence. Prior to the Iraq invasion, these contemporary Paul Reveres warned the public that the WMD’s and links to Al Queda cited by the Bush Administration to justify the war simply didn’t exist.

Last week McGovern confronted Rummy during a public Q & A session in Atlanta. “Why did you lie to get us into a war that caused these kind of casualties and was not necessary?” Referring to WMDs he added, “You said you knew where they were.” Rumsfeld was caught in his web of lies and, the New York Times noted, his response was to spout more of the same.

The political benefit of a McGovern appointment for a sinking Bush administration that has all but sent its Mayday signal is this: McGovern has a track record as a patriot and a truth-teller–and there is a dearth of both in the Bush-Cheney-Rummy reign of ruin. Additionally, Tony Snow’s harsh view of his new boss–“No president has looked this impotent this long”–would suddenly read as McGovern-lite, comparatively speaking.

If you have other thoughts on the pros of a McGovern appointment please post them here.