Hello and welcome to the political orphanage, a home for plucky misfits and problem solvers.

I'm your host, Andrew Heaton, and I once asked the head of the CIA, what do you do when the values of the United States

conflict with what's good for the United States? It's a good question, isn't it? What I meant was

it's against the ethics and the laws of the U.S. of A to assassinate political leaders.

But what if you, Leon Panetta, who was the active head of the CIA at that time, what if you

have the opportunity to assassinate a foreign political rival that you know is contravened

to the interests of the United States.

And let's not say that it's just money. They're going to start a war that's going to kill a lot

of people. And let's say that this guy in question, this potential warmonger, was democratically

elected. But he is going to start a bloody, useless war in which thousands of people, thousands of Americans, will die.

Here in America, we believe in democracy.

We believe in rule of law.

We should not go assassinate the head of another country.

So what do you do?

What do you do when the values and ideology of your people conflict with a positive outcome

for the people? Do you temporarily exempt yourself? That's what Thomas Jefferson did with

the Louisiana purchase. He acknowledged, look, the president has no authority to do this,

but it's such a good deal. I just have to violate my beliefs and do it. Or do you take it on the

chin and say, I guess that's the cost of our values and we're willing to pay the price for them.

Incidentally, Leon Panetta, who is a very apt politician, if ever I've met one,

completely sidestepped the question. His answer to me was, good question, Andy. You know,

I don't think I'd feel comfortable being an undercover agent and lying,

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