You Sure He's 1,000% Behind Me?

By Janice Castro

Influential supporters of ROBERT GATES complain that the White House is bungling his confirmation as Director of Central Intelligence. Instead of putting experienced handlers in charge, as was done with Judge Clarence Thomas, Bush waited until last month to assign the task to Andrew Card, a Sununu deputy with little congressional savvy. Already facing opposition in the Senate, Gates, whose confirmation hearings begin next week, will find the going even tougher as questions about the agency's role in Iran-contra continue to nag.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart