The Odd Man In

Jimmy Carter's CIA appointment was perhaps his most surprising to date. Theodore C. (for Chaikin) Sorensen, 48, who was once President John Kennedy's top aide, has had virtually no experience in intelligence work or administration. After the 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco, he harshly criticized the CIA for misleading the White House about the chances of the Cuban invasion--though he had gone along with the plan beforehand. The most plausible explanation for the appointment is that Sorensen came highly recommended, campaigned hard for the President-elect and will, by his very inexperience in the area, make it possible for Carter to take a direct hand in running the troubled agency.

Sorensen was hotly opposed by Senator Henry Jackson and the AFL-CIO for being too dovish. But he had the crucial backing of Cyrus Vance, Carter's choice for Secretary of State, and Zbigniew Brzezinski, the new National Security Adviser. Sorensen worked closely with both on the Carter campaign in New York.

By selecting Sorensen, Carter paid his respects to the still important Kennedy wing of the Democratic Party. For outside the Kennedy family, no one was closer to J.F.K. than Sorensen. He grew up in a Lincoln, Neb., household that served as a refuge and rallying point for local progressives; Ted's father was a liberal Republican state attorney general.

After earning his bachelor's and law degrees at the University of Nebraska, young Ted headed for Washington. Taking a job on Capitol Hill, he was so promising that he soon caught John Kennedy's eye and became his administrative assistant. The two hit it off, sharing similar ideas and temperaments. As Sorensen put it, "Both of us have a certain reserve, a certain difficulty giving ourselves to people." But Sorensen had no trouble devoting himself wholeheartedly to Kennedy's service.

Shattered when Kennedy was killed, Sorensen stayed in virtual isolation for a year while he wrote his 758-page book on those brief years of glory, Kennedy. Then he joined a top New York law firm, which gave him a six-figure income. He lives in a Manhattan apartment with his third wife Gillian and their young daughter; he has two sons from his first marriage. In 1970 he made his one try for elective office by running in the Democratic Senate primary; badly beaten, he did not make another attempt. He was too stonefaced, it was said, to excite many voters.

Some agency officials are relieved that the nominee is not James Schlesinger, who "axed a lot of people" during his brief tenure in 1973. But mostly, Sorensen's appointment is causing cries of anguish in the intelligence community, which is leary of a new wave of investigations and proposals for reform. Says one intelligence official: "He is soft on the conscientious objectors out of the world of Jane Fonda, and I ask: How is Carter going to line up strength abroad for the U.S. with a Sorensen in the CIA?"

Others question that assessment and trust "the basic discipline in the organization." No one argues that Sorensen lacks the brains to head the CIA, and even one cold-hearted professional calls him "compassionate with people," which may boost morale. But appointing a man of limited experience in the world of intelligence poses certain risks.

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