30th
Lack of Leadership in Washington, DC
In early December, The TSA posted on the Internet its Standard Operating Procedure Manual to the embarrassment of the Administration. This obvious mistake brought into question back in December as to whether or not airport security was jeopardized.
On Dec. 8, 2009, Sen. Lieberman (I-CN) who is the chairman of the Homeland Security committee in the Senate, called on the U.S. Senate to confirm the administration’s pick to head the TSA, Mr. Erroll Southers. In his statement, Sen. Lieberman said: “I would also add that the prompt confirmation of Earl Southers as TSA Administrator will go a long way toward providing the agency the leadership it needs to put this issue behind it and move forward.”
You see, some Senators thought the leak to the Internet of the TSA security manual was serious enough to call for prompt consideration of the Southers nomination. Unfortunately, others in the Senate Leadership thought plowing through the Health Care debate, absent almost any other Senate business, was more important.
Then we have the serious breach of airport security on Christmas day by the terrorist “panty bomber” that almost resulted in another airliner disaster on U.S. soil. Yet we still see no leadership from the Democrats in DC.
You see, the Senate began the Health Care debate on Nov. 19, the very same day the Senate Homeland security committee voted to send Mr. Southers’ nomination to the full Senate for consideration. However, the Senate spent the next month plus debating the Health Care bill, almost to the exclusion of all other business. Nothing was more important than to get a vote on the Health Care bill before Christmas….not even considering and confirming Mr. Southers’ nomination as the head of the TSA. I thought it was pretty well known that the Christmas holiday season is one of the busiest airline travel days of the year.
Now we are days after the terrorist attempt occurred Christmas Day and the Administration has yet to to recess appoint Mr. Southers to head the TSA. Under our Constitution, Article II, sec. 2, the President has the power to fill all vacancies that may occur during the recess of the Senate. This writer spent 26 years in the U. S. Senate and watched dozens and dozens of nominations be recess appointed by past Presidents, many to much lower and much less important positions. With these facts on the table, it seems that one can come to only a few conclusions. Either those running our government in DC believe Mr. Southers nomination would NOT “go a long way toward providing the agency the leadership it needs” as Chairman Lieberman stated in on Dec. 9, or those in DC don’t care about our security as much as they cared about securing their Health care vote.
Finally, since this President hasn’t exercised his ability under the Constitution to recess appoint the head of the TSA, then it seems to this writer that one can arrive at only one conclusion. However, now that you have some facts at your disposal, you can come to your own conclusion.
Stay tuned,
GradeGov
