It was a job that no one in their right mind would ever ask for - to supervise the largest investigation of the United States government in history - in direct opposition to White House wishes.
For 18 months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, US President George W. Bush fought against the formation of an independent commission to investigate how the government had failed to protect its people.
Finally, driven by rising public pressure spearheaded by families of the 9/11 victims, Congress sidestepped White House objections and announced the creation of an independent commission to investigate the deaths of nearly 3,000 people.
Based on the commission's findings, on December 17 in Washington, Mr Bush signed into law the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, the largest overhaul of US intelligence gathering in 50 years, hoping to improve the spy network that failed to prevent the September 11 attacks.
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the US (better known as the 9/11 commission) consisted of five Republicans and five Democrats, each chosen by their parties. But the crucial post of commission chairman was to be filled by the president's choice. Mr Bush's first pick was Henry Kissinger, national security adviser and secretary of state in the disgraced Richard Nixon administration. Such a choice was questionable at best, for Mr Kissinger has not only been a highly controversial figure for decades, he has long had a personal penchant for secrecy.
But before Democratic cries of 'cover-up' could rise to a roar, Mr Kissinger stepped down from the chairmanship when informed that his international lobbying firm, Kissinger Associates, would have to disclose its clients, something he had always refused to do.