WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama made a pointed effort Friday to describe Leon Panetta, his choice as director of the CIA, as an adviser who will have “my complete trust and substantial clout.”

Responding to skeptics who question Panetta’s lack of intelligence experience, Obama praised the longtime Northern California political leader as “one of the finest public servants of our time.”

Panetta, 70, represented the Monterey area in Congress for 16 years and earned generally high marks as former President Bill Clinton’s budget director and chief of staff in the 1990s. He had no direct responsibility for intelligence or counterterrorism, except for overseeing the budgets of all federal agencies.

In brief remarks, Panetta praised the CIA as “the first line of our defense at a dangerous time.” He turned toward Obama and said a primary task “is to provide the most accurate and objective intelligence you need to lead the nation.”

Obama has said that he wants some changes in the intelligence community: clear guidelines against abusive interrogations and nonpolitical analysis of intelligence data to avoid the failures that led to the Iraq war.

“We know that to be truly secure, we must adhere to our values as vigilantly as we protect our safety — with no exceptions,” Obama said.

Several senators, including Dianne Feinstein, said early in the week that they favored a CIA director with a professional background in intelligence. Feinstein, a California Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, also complained that Obama and his team did not consult her on the choice.

‘Sound judgment’

But Obama said Panetta, as a top White House official, “handled intelligence daily at the very highest levels, and time and again he has demonstrated sound judgment, grace under fire and complete integrity.”

After a conversation with Panetta, Feinstein said she was supportive, describing him as a “man of conscience, a man of talent, and I believe he will surround himself with top-notch staff from the intelligence community.”

Other members of Obama’s intelligence team may assuage some potential critics. Dennis Blair, a retired admiral with broad experience, was named director of national intelligence, supervising all 16 intelligence agencies, including the CIA. John Brennan, with a background in counterterrorism, will be Obama’s homeland security adviser.

Peter Earnest, a CIA operative for 36 years, said those appointments, along with keeping some top people in the agency, “will reassure members of the clandestine service.”

Panetta’s experience overseeing the CIA budget, his good reputation on Capitol Hill and the fact that he has the president’s ear also are pluses, Earnest said, who focused on Obama’s pledge that Panetta will have “complete trust.”

“The agency could not ask for anything more,” said Earnest, who now is executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington.

Several analysts pointed out that whether a CIA director is an insider or outsider in the secretive, insular culture of the agency, his success often depends on access to the president.

Critics’ concerns

Other former agency officials were more pessimistic about Panetta, noting that Michael Hayden, the current director, was a retired Air Force general with extensive intelligence experience who protected the agency.

Michael Scheuer, a 22-year CIA analyst, told CNN that “it was not apparent (Panetta) has any talent pertinent to the job” and would have to learn quickly in the new position.

Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said “intelligence experience should be a prerequisite for the job.”

But former Rep. Tim Roemer, an Obama ally who served on the House Intelligence Committee and the 9/11 Commission, said Panetta has “the right mix of insider skills in Washington with an outsider’s perspective who will bring change to the agency.”

In articles last year, Panetta was adamant that torture should never be used, and he criticized President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program. Panetta also served in the Iraq Study Group, where he reviewed intelligence failures and clashed with Bush administration officials over policies and intelligence.

“From Guantánamo to interrogation and wiretapping, we need some changes, and Leon is a very capable manager and consensus-builder who can help make that happen,” Roemer said.

Earnest said that after carefully listening to Obama, he thinks the new president will make changes without dwelling on past policies that he opposed. “I think his tone is, ‘Let’s move on,’ ” Earnest said.

Feinstein said she also expects Obama and Panetta to follow through on changes she wants to see.

“The president-elect has clearly stated that he wishes to close Guantánamo and end the use of torture in interrogations,” said Feinstein, who introduced a bill to do that. “I look forward to working with the new president to achieve these goals.”

Contact Frank Davies at fdavies@mercurynews.com or (202) 662-8921.