I don’t know enough about Lt. Gen. James Clapper, Obama’s pick for the next Director of National Intelligence, to form an opinion of him as a profession. So I’ll withhold comment until I’ve researched his past statements and actions a bit more. As a veteran of the Air Force, he deserves as much.

For now, though, it’s interesting to have Hoekstra, Feinstein, and Bond on the same page. A bit troubling, actually.

Senator Kit Bond (R) of Missouri, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, already has signaled his opposition.

“Unfortunately, with his pick in Jim Clapper as the next DNI, the President has ensured our terror-fighting strategy will continue to be run out of the Department of Justice and White House,” he said in a statement. “While Jim has served our nation well, he lacks the necessary clout with the President, has proven to be less than forthcoming with Congress, and has recently blocked our efforts to empower the DNI, which is why at this time I’m not inclined to support him.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) of California, who leads the Senate committee, has indicated she’d rather have a civilian in the job – somebody like CIA Director Leon Panetta.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, (R) of Michigan, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, isn’t happy with the Clapper appointment either.

“Mr. Clapper has blocked my communications with elements of the intelligence community, and he has been evasive and slow to respond to questions and letters from members of the committee,” he said in a statement. “Secondly, Mr. Clapper does not have the clout or independence to be the voice that provides an alternative to the Obama administration’s prosecute after-the-fact approach to terror.”

“We need a DNI who will ensure that the intelligence community is heard as prominently as the Justice Department, Homeland Security, the Pentagon and even the president’s national security staff, which is trying to micro-manage America’s intelligence agencies from the White House,” Hoekstra said.

Hoekstra doesn’t have a direct vote in the matter of whether to confirm Clapper, but as ranking member on the Select Committee on Intelligence in the House, his word carries some weight with Republicans.

Feinstein and Bond both have direct — and powerful — votes, however, and it’s unlikely that Clapper would be confirmed without at least Feinstein’s backing. (Feinstein chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, where Bond is vice chairman.)

Interestingly enough, we go through Directors of National Intelligence like Brett Favre goes through retirement parties. If confirmed, Clapper will become the fourth director in just five years.