>> james clapper would replace dennis blair who resigned last month. he would be the fourth director since congress created the office five years ago to oversee the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. this is 10 minutes. >> i have no prior -- no higher senate -- no higher priority than the safety and security of the american people. in an world -- in the world, we must protect ourselves from threats like terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, transnational threats such as fiber-criminals -- cyber- criminials. to keep america safe, we're integrating every element of our national power -- military and economic, diplomacy and development, homeland security, law enforcement, and intelligence. this final element, timely and accurate intelligence, is uniquely important, because it is critical to each of the

[applause] >> if confirmed he will replace dennis blair who resigned last month. he would be the fourth director since congress created the office to oversee the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. from the white house, this is 10 minutes. >> safety and security of the american people. aad in an interconnected world where dangers can emerge suddenly we have to protect ourselves against a full range of threats. from a terrorist network striking our homeland to violent extremists seeking weapons of mass destruction to threats such as cyber criminals. to keep america safe my administration is strengthening and integrating every element of our national power, military and economic, diplomacy and development. homeland security, law enforement. it is critical to all of the other. as president i always depend on the best decisions that i make every day. i depend on the director of national intelligence. dennis blair continued the extraordinary service that defined his entire career. our intelligence became more integrated and agile. i will be grateful for his sense of pur

if confirmed, he replaces dennis blair who resigned last month. replace dennis blair who resigned last he would be the fourth director since congress created the office five years ago to oversee the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. this is 10 minutes. >> i have no higher priority than the safety and security of the american people. in the world, we must protect ourselves from threats like terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, transnational threats such as cyber- criminials. -- criminals. to keep america safe, we're integrating every element of our national power -- military and economic, diplomacy and development, homeland security, law enforcement, and intelligence. this final element, timely and accurate intelligence, is uniquely important, because it is critical to each of the others. as president, but also depend on the best available intelligence for daily decisions that i make. i depend on the director of national intelligence. as dni, dennis blair continued the extraordinary service that defined his entire career. during his tenure, ou

if the senate confirms him, clapper would replace dennis blair, who resigned as d.n.i. last month. a massive inferno in the capital of bangladesh killed at least 117 people overnight. police in dhaka said an electrical transformer exploded and started the blaze in narrow alleys of an old neighborhood. most of the dead were trapped in two or three residential buildings. one witness described the scene. >> what i saw here can only be described as scenes from hell there was nothing we could do. we had to stand at a distance and watch people burning and dying. down the street the fire was advancing like lava. everywhere people were running and screaming in pain and fear. people couldn't help each other. they were diing where they stood. >> holman: officials said firefighters had trouble reaching the scene because their trucks couldn't fit through the narrow streets. japan has a new prime minister. the parliament today elected naoto kan to the post. kan has served as finance minister, and is known as a populist. he pledged today to regain the trust of the japanese people. his predecesso

president obama recently nominated james clapper to replace dennis blair. in an article in the "wall street journal" they discussed his role as dni. guest: each individual agency bears their own budget. perhaps the dni could have a stronger hand in that. the power to hire and fire. intelligence agencies would be strengthened by that. but i would not go so far as to consider making this a cabinet department or anything like that. intelligence is a support function it is not the function of the freestanding cabinet, if you will. theelast thing i would urge the powers that be to consider might be to make the director of national intelligence a position that is fixed term in duration, just like the director of the fbi. that would elevate the position3 intelligence has become sort of a political football in this town. host: you say that they should have the power to hire and fire. would that not contribute to the conflict with the cia? guest: authorities are sttonger within the cia compared to other authorities. i believe he nominee to head of the cia based on t