FILE - CIA Director Leon Panetta testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this Feb. 10, 2011 file photo. Administration sources say President Barack Obama plans this week to name CIA Director Leon Panetta to replace Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Gen. David Petraeus, now running the war in Afghanistan, would take the CIA chief's job. The changes are expected to be announced Thursday April 28, 2011 at the White House. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)AP – President Barack Obama’s choice of expert budget-cutter Leon Panetta to lead the Defense Department is a clear signal that the White House perceives the nation’s deficit crisis, not the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as its toughest challenge.