Perspectives on Current Events

Institute co-founder, Leon Panetta, has written occasional commentaries which appeared on the feature and op-ed pages of The Monterey County Herald, San Jose Mercury News, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post, and other newspapers. A former U.S. Representative, Office of Management and Budget director, and White House chief of staff, Mr. Panetta currently serves as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mr. Panetta’s available published commentaries dating back to 2001 are accessible below.

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Commentaries from 2009
by Leon E. Panetta

• Governance, Budgeting Require Full Overhauls – and we Can Do It
  The Sacramento Bee, January 4, 2009

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Commentaries from 2008
by Leon E. Panetta

• Beyond Winning, The Ability To Govern
  The San Francisco Chronicle, November 9, 2008
• Obama Faces Challenges of Change
  The Monterey County Herald, November 9, 2008
• Who Bails Out The U.S. Government?
  The Christian Science Monitor, November 5, 2008
• What Binds America Is Values In Our Constitution
  The San Francisco Chronicle, September 17, 2008
• Five Points For the Next President
  The Monterey County Herald, September 7, 2008
• Protect Our Oceans
  San Jose Mercury News, August 30, 2008
• State Budget Process Crippled By Chronic Shortsightedness
  The Sacramento Bee, June 22, 2008
• Americans Reject Scare Tactics
  The Monterey County Herald, March 9, 2008
• We Need Real Change Not Campaign Talk
  The Monterey County Herald, January 13, 2008

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Commentaries from 2007

by Leon E. Panetta

• What’s Missing in ’08 run – Candidates’ Core Beliefs Buried in Campaign Rhetoric
  The Monterey County Herald, November 11, 2007
• “Surge” Not Working as Hoped
  The Monterey County Herald, September 9, 2007
• Preserving the Ocean For Our Children
  The Good Times, June 19, 2007
• Consensus on Iraq Exists – Build on It
  The Monterey County Herald, May 13, 2007
• Government a Plague of Incompetence
  The Monterey County Herald, March 11, 2007
• What About Those Other Iraq Deadlines?
  The New York Times, April 4, 2007
• States’ Map For Saving The Oceans
  The Washington Post, February 3, 2007
  By: Leon E. Panetta and James D. Watkins
• The Wrong Message To Iraq
  The Monterey County Herald, January 14, 2007

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Commentaries from 2006
by Leon E. Panetta

• A last chance for consensus on Iraq
  The Monterey County Herald, December 17, 2006
• We Won. Now What?
  The New York Times, November 12, 2006
• Now Parties Must Govern Together
  The Monterey County Herald, November 12, 2006
• Facing reality in Iraq
  The Monterey County Herald, September 10, 2006
• Policy-makers should look to Californians for decisions
  By Tom Campbell and Leon Panetta
  The Monterey County Herald, July 20, 2006
• “A republic…if you can keep it”
  The Monterey County Herald, July 9, 2006
• Price of gas – curse or blessing
  The Monterey County Herald, May 7, 2006
• Immigration reform challenging
  The Monterey County Herald, March 12, 2006
• Lobby reform is overdue in Congress
  The Monterey County Herald, January 15, 2006

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Commentaries from 2005
by Leon E. Panetta

• After The Hurricane: What will we learn from Katrina?
  The Monterey County Herald,September 11, 2005
• Looking for honesty in our leaders
  The Monterey County Herald, June 10, 2005
• Where is the battle for ideas?
  The Monterey County Herald, May 8, 2005
• California is key to transformation of nation’s defense
  San Francisco Chronicle, March 28, 2005
• Time for a party that can govern
  The Monterey County Herald, March 13, 2005
• The Vulnerability Of Modern Society
  The Monterey County Herald, January 16, 2005
• New Commerce Chief Must Protect Collapsing Oceans
  The Monterey County Herald, January 12, 2005
  By Leon E. Panetta and Andrew Sharpless

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Commentaries from 2004
by Leon E. Panetta

• Political Crossroads: Heal or Divide
  The Monterey County Herald, November 7, 2004
• Healing the nation
  San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, October 25, 2004
• Pick a Message, Any Message
  The New York Times, September 19, 2004
• Déjà vu all over again in Washington
  Monterey County Herald, March 7, 2004
• Federal Deficit A Nightmare For Our Children
  San Jose Mercury News, February 8, 2004
• Talking with Americans
  The Globe and Mail, (Canada), February 5, 2004
• From Athens To Iowa: Let The Games Begin
  Monterey County Herald, January 11, 2004

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Commentaries from 2003
by Leon E. Panetta

• Summer Of Our Discontent
  Monterey County Herald, September 7, 2003
• Mortgaging Our Children’s Future
  The Monterey County Herald, July 13, 2003
• The State of Democracy in America
  Monterey County Herald, July 11, 2003
• The End of Fighting—But What Is Victory?
  The Monterey County Herald, May 11, 2003
• The Deafening Sound of Silence
  The Monterey County Herald, March 9, 2003
• The Economy Needs Certainty, Not Stimulus
  The Monterey County Herald, January 12, 2003
• Lessons Not Learned: California’s $35 Billion in Red Ink Calls for Fearless Leaders
  The San Jose Mercury News, January 12, 2003

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Commentaries from 2002
by Leon E. Panetta

• Restoring Trust in Corporate America
  The Monterey County Herald, July 14, 2002
• Washington Turf Wars Take Teeth Away from Ridge’s Office
  The Monterey County Herald, May 12, 2002
• Ocean Dimension of Earth Day
  The Washington Times, April 22, 2002
• A Time to Ask “Who Can We Trust?”
  The Monterey County Herald, March 10, 2002
• Can Congress Discipline Itself?
  The New York Times, February 8, 2002
• Davis’ Budget Has Flaws, but Works
  Los Angeles Times, February 5, 2002
• Did Sept. 11 Change Washington?
  The Monterey County Herald, January 20, 2002

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Commentaries from 2001
by Leon E. Panetta

• America Must Not lose Focus in Its War on Terrorism
  The Monterey County Herald, November 11, 2001
• The Politics of Geography
  San Jose Mercury News, September 10, 2001
• The Price of ‘Spin’ Versus the ‘Truth’
  The Monterey County Herald, September 9, 2001
• Back to ‘Borrow and Spend’
  The Monterey County Herald, July 8, 2001
• Reinventing the Energy Wheel
  Christian Science Monitor, May 18, 2001
• A Nation of All, Not of One?
  The Monterey County Herald, May 13, 2001
• You Can’t Fool All the People All the Time
  The Monterey County Herald, March 18, 2001
• The Clinton Paradox
  San Jose Mercury News, January 1, 2001
• To Succeed As President, Bush Must Learn from Lessons of the Past
  The Monterey County Herald, January 1, 2001