Pelosi choses Reyes for chairman of the House Intelligence Committee

..."Pelosi said his experience gives him an understanding of the needs of both troops and policymakers. "His appreciation for the dangers inherent in the operation of secret activities in a democracy ensures that he will be a zealous protector of the civil liberties," she said.

In a recent interview, Reyes said Republicans have made a habit of rubber-stamping the Bush administration's programs. Democrats, he said, must act quickly to show they will dig deeply into the government's actions.

Overseeing the 16 U.S. spy agencies is among the most challenging — and thankless — tasks in Congress. Given the committee's inherently secret nature, much of the work is done behind closed doors. Few members of Congress have a significant constituency in the spy world, and one presidential commission weighing recent intelligence changes called the agencies "headstrong.""

Update: More on Reyes:

"Mr. Reyes, an affable West Texan, has a far lower profile in national security circles than does Ms. Harman, an outspoken and strong-willed centrist who has become a regular guest on Sunday talk shows since the Sept. 11 attacks.

But Mrs. Pelosi chose him over Ms. Harman in part because he has repeatedly taken a more combative stance toward Bush administration policies like the invasion of Iraq, military tribunals for terrorist suspects, and the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program."

Update 12/2: Josh Marshall has more:
"For my money the most troubling thing about Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Nancy Pelosi's choice to head up the House Intelligence Committee, is his frequent travels with GOP loose cannon extraordinaire Curt Weldon. Today the Wall Street Journal offers conflicting accounts of whether Reyes was present at a now notorious Paris meeting between Weldon and Manucher Ghorbanifar, the Zelig of American foreign policy scandals."