Senate Confirms James Clapper as National Intelligence Director

With Republican opposition melting away, the Senate unanimously confirmed retired Air Force Gen. James Clapper as the nation's fourth director of National Intelligence.

Clapper succeeds Dennis Blair, who resigned in May amid differences with the White House over the scope of his authority, CNN said. Clapper, currently the Defense Department's top intelligence officer, will oversee 16 spy agencies. Three Republican senators, John McCain of Arizona, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Kit Bond of Missouri, had held up the vote, demanding information from the White House not directly related to Clapper. They were apparently satisfied, as the nomination sailed through the Senate Thursday night.

The intelligence czar position was created after 9/11 to pull together the nation's multiple -- and sometimes competing -- spy agencies.

Clapper "is mindful of the importance of independence from the Pentagon," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "He understands the DNI's responsibility to provide strategic intelligence to policy-makers, and he knows that the job entails more than simple coordination."