Et tu, Michael Chertoff?
The White House thinks we’re stupid. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff thinks we suffer from short-term memory loss. Check out the transcript of Chertoff’s remarks yesterday at a breakfast with the Christian Science Monitor:
Question: Do you think the comments in the blogosphere or on talk radio make it more difficult for members to come to the center on this issue because those comments emphasize, you know, either the left’s support in the form of Ted Kennedy for the bill or I guess the right in the form of the Bush Administration?
Secretary Chertoff: I mean, I understand it’s personally difficult—must be personally difficult sometimes for people to hear discussion on the radio or on television or on blogs which is intemperate, where people are called names. That’s where I do think we step over the line if someone says that you’re a sellout or a traitor if you support the bill. Or sometimes—I mean, I don’t spend a lot of time in the blogosphere but sometimes I see blogs. And, you know, when people write blogs, some of them are well reasoned. But some of them have a lot of capital letters and exclamation points and a lot of language that you tend to hear in an Army barracks and a lot of cursing and attacking of other people’s motives. I don’t think that that’s particularly helpful.
But, you know, I think you make a decision that if you’re going to get into public life, you’re going to do the right thing. And if people are angry and don’t like it, so be it.
Mr. Cook:Dan.
Secretary Chertoff: Can I—let me just say one other thing.
I lived for a long time in an environment where I was prosecuting people, organized crime. So these are people who are bad people who will do pretty much whatever they can to stay out of jail. So I figure if I survived that, you know, I’m not going to worry about people calling me names.
The guy has chutzpah. Here’s a reminder of what poor, aggrieved victim Chertoff said last month about immigration enforcement proponents (video):
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: You know, Wolf, first, I understand there’s some people who expect anything other than capital punishment is an amnesty. The reality is the proposal here requires people who came in illegally who want to stay to pay a penalty. Like a fine. That’s a punishment. That’s not an amnesty.
And here’s a reminder of what he told Newsweek about opponents of the shamnesty bill:
I understand that some people think it’s not tough enough. Maybe they want people thrown in jail for 10 years or they want people executed.
What was that about attacking of other people’s motives, Secretary Chertoff?
Perhaps he should stop talking to the MSM and CLEAR THE DAMN BACKLOGS FIRST!!!!.
Oh, dear. Pardon my capital letters, exclamation points, and Army barracks language. Didn’t mean to frighten you. But you know how we Loud Folks are.
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Categories: Amnesty, Michael Chertoff
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Here these administration people talk as though they’re on George Soros’ payroll, and yet they can’t get in George Soros’ good graces…Doesn’t it make your heart weep?
Given the performance of DHS, why should we expect anything more from Chertoff?
Ah, there you go again, using punctuation and all…
Guess we should all just shut the (_) up and let our Senatorial overlords do our thinking for us.
BTW, how’s that 3 percent approval rating going for ya, Chertoff?
Just a thought - Chertoff would have a much better frame of reference had he spent some time in an “army barracks”, rather than living in the state of denial which is Washington.
Does this administration really want to give the ‘08 election to the competition?
This administration has been in bunker mode for so long they’ve forgotten about the velvet glove.
If he wants capital letters, lots of exclamation points, and army barrack language, I say bloggers give it to him - just to drive him nuts.
Nice slam on the Army by disparaging the alleged language or soldiers use, by the way. This guy is a piece of…..work.
Chertoff is incompetent and he has hired incompetents under him. The Amnesty and Open Borders Bill is a terrorists dream come true. Here is an analysis from national security perspective.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/wm1513.cfm
Read it and get angry.
Sometimes I think Washinton DC wants another attack on US soil.
Just to give you all an insight to DC thinking - Found this web site for use by congressional staffers, most of what’s there is childish, juvenile garbage, but every so often you see things that give you a glimpse of how DC thinks of us.
Like this quote (edited due to profanity):
Senate staffers: Please tell your members to vote in favor
of the immigration bill….so these ignorant f*****s will stop calling us!!!!
Found at http://www.thecapitolist.com
Check it out…
HEY MIKE!! How does it feel to be the incompetent head of the most spectacularly inept agency in the Federal Government!!
(More exclamation!! marks?)
And name calling? How about if we just take potshots at your chrome dome? Like - “How many coats of wax you got on top there, Bub?”
Absolutely clueless…
A good example of how the media mischaracterizes both the amnesty bill and the debate — it’s all about partisanship and xenophobia — and nothing to do with the bill itself — a political and cultural tsunami which the dinosaurs refuse to report on honestly or to explain in depth.
The blogosphere and talk radio must be discredited as intemperate, drooling,foul-mouthed name-callers, since they are the only voices speaking the truth on the issue.
Somebody has to do it: THE MAN’S A FOOL!!!
I can’t belive i supported this guy’s nomination.
I have buyers remorse.
I heard him on Rush yesterday. I was less than impressed. The United States, the country that built and dug the Panama Canal, can’t built a fence over a gully known as “Smuggler’s Notch?” C’mon! The point is that some in the government are
passivelyactively supporting open borders.Michael Chertoff is really James Carville.
You know who we would be investigating if this were a perfect world? Mikey Chertoff. He’s so inept that Bush should fire his rear right now. Given the way Chertoff has run DHS, they should call it the Department of Homeland Insecurity.
I tuned into Rush into the middle of this idiot’s interview. At first I thought it must be a parody - he sounded just like a character out of “LaVerne and SHirley”.
COme to think of it, he HAS turned DHS into a parody - tragically of course.
I just want to thank Michelle, everyone at Hotair.com and most of America for being informed and challenging these people and exposing the ineptitude and holier than thou attitudes from politicians and their associates in Washington.
The new media era has empowered the little guy with the ability to take on and showcase hypocrites like him.
You’re doing a fine job Chertie! No wait, that was Brownie…wait, I’m calling them names! Yikes, exclamation point…Anyway, Could you please enforce the border!!? Wait, that makes me xenophobic, and as Geraldo knows that means I fear brown-skinned people! Except I’m talking about lawyers with deadly TB!
‘Strawman’ Chertoff: I see blog people.
Malcolm Crowe: In your dreams?
[Chertoff shakes his head no]
Malcolm Crowe: While you’re awake?
[Chertoff nods]
Malcolm Crowe: Blog people like, Malkin, Morrissey?
Chertoff: Surfing around like regular people. They don’t see each other. They don’t see the happy, hardworking Mexicans. They only see what they want to see. They don’t know they’re wrong.
Malcolm Crowe: How often do you see them?
Chertoff: All the time. They’re everywhere.
Well, how ’bout Sheriff Joe Arpaio for DHS
Sec’y :o)
Secretary Chertoff is a political appointee. He will twist in the wind, to maintain the administrations’ viewpoints; right or wrong. Does anyone not see the changes in Tony Snow. Personal convictions are left at the door when speaking to the public.
Sometimes I have to stop and think for a moment that maybe we made a mistake in 2000. Obviously The Goracle wasn’t a better choice, but does anyone remember who the Republican runner up was?
How GW could actully hire this guy for trash collector much less a cabinet level head just boggles the mind.
Does anyone else think Chertie and Colmes are related? They resemble on the outside, and neither has anything other than oatmeal between their ears. Separated at birth?
Hmmmmm . . .
I will never forget Chertoff smiling as he asked Webb Hubbell about airfields in Arkansas. Then he just moved on. I remember thinking, “Uh oh”.
I wouldn’t put that pencil necked geek in charge of a cross walk.
Secretary Chertoff believes that we are incapable of reading and understanding this monstrosity of a bill.
My response: Si, yo puedo!
Myshirtisoff is a joke. Perhaps if he had some of the frilly thingies on each of his suit coats’ padded shoulders he’d look the part: Tin-pot head of a bureaucratic mess.
Why is this guy still in charge of DHS? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!
That’s where I do think we step over the line if someone says that you’re a sellout or a traitor if you support the bill.
The Quislings are getting a little bothered by being called traitors and sellouts. Good. They should be, considering they all swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, including this part:
U.S. Constitution, Article 4 Section 4:“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion;”
Invasion: \In*va”sion\, n. [L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade.] [1913 Webster] 1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.
Every time this man opens his mouth I’m shocked by what he has to say. It’s as though his ego is so big that he believes any honest debate about a gargantuan bill affecting the security of the homeland is a personal affront. GET OVER YOURSELF AND PROTECT OUR “HOMELAND” CHERTOFF!!!!!!!
*use of caps and exclamation points intentional…
I agree, thats a great idea!
Chertoff has it backwards. Many of the bills supporters are the ones resorting to name calling by calling opponents bigots, cowards, and loud people that ought to just shutup. They negotiated their bill in secret trying to keep it limited to debate and amendments. Senator Graham thinks that we should all be in awe of his courage for standing up to the loud people and getting something done. I bet if this bill passes he along with its other supporters will hide under their desks for another 21 years while our border gets overrun. Now they want to shut off debate on this bill by limiting amendments to 24 which will guarantee that the Senators from at least 26 states will not be able to offer amendments. I quess they don’t think to much of more than half the country.
Damn those pesky voters. Life would be so simple without them.
“But, you know, I think you make a decision that if you’re going to get into public life, you’re going to do the right thing. And if people are angry and don’t like it, so be it.”
Gosh, this “do the right thing” is wrong on so many levels.
How about a sampling on the criminal corruption level:
Molohan - Convicted
Hastings - Impeached
Jefferson - Indicted
Stevens - Under investigation
How about just one example off the top of my head on the good business regulation level:
Sarbanes-Oxley
How about a general example purely on the “do the right thing” level:
Being convinced into changing your opposition on a bill with some enticing pork for your state or district … or because of the threat of never getting an earmark again.
Even if his assertion is correct, it is no guarantee that motive is unchangeable after 5, 10, or 20 years. The most disconcerting thing about his statement is that it is disingenuous to suggest that because a politician enters public service with the intention to “do the right thing” that that politician will also be “doing the thing that is right” whether immediately, anytime, and/or all the time during that politician’s term of service.
That, bottom line, is the basic error in Chertoff’s logic, i.e., that this bill is “right thing to do” because the majority of the politicians think so and it can’t possibly be “not the right thing to do” because the vast majority of the public thinks that.
“So be it” may sound better than “Let them eat cake” but Chertoff’s still saying the same thing. (Yes, I know Marie did not say that.)
I have nothing against emaciated looking people with a 3 or 4 day beard growth and maybe it’s just me but I have seen homeless people that look better than Chertoff…
A nice suit just seals the deal, he looks like the shelter cleans him up and sends him off to work every morning…
Sorry…
This guy should be gone! Let alone his stubborness and arrogance on this issue, he is the epitome of incompetence!
Chertoff exemplifies Bush’s lack of management and leadership ability. Chertoff should have been fired after the Katrina disaster, yet here he is still in power and still displaying his complete incompetence.
Also, somebody also needs to remind Chertoff that it is government of the people, by the people, for the people. They are not some ruling class anointed by God to govern. They are there by the grace of, and to represent, the will of the American people. When 77% of the people disagree with their government on a fundamental issue, like this, and they ignore them, they are flirting with disaster.
Apparently the only thing running well in the Bush administration is the Commerce Department and they’re all about open borders, NAFTA superhighways and this ShAmnesty.
I’m getting tired of hearing that this comprehensive immigration bill is a meeting in the middle, while the two extremes oppose it.
Kennedy D-MA (liberal) for the bill
Sanders I-VT (liberal) against the bill
Lieberman D-CT (moderate) for the bill
Dorgan D-ND (moderate) against the bill
Kyl R-AZ (conservative) for the bill
Sessions R-AL (conservative) against the bill
Lugar R-IN (moderate) for the bill
Hutchison R-TX (moderate) against the bill
It seems more like a coalition of those Senators corrupted by businesses that want cheap labor, and want to pass some of their costs of doing business to the taxpayers in the form of health care, education, etc. The division has nothing to do with extremes, it has to do with corruption in the government.
CHERTOFF IS A G*D* TRAITOR!!!!!! AND WANTS MORE THAN NOTHING BUT THE END OF THE USA AS WE KNOW IT!!!!!!
What is wrong with what Michael Chertoff said? Here is 100% correct! Name calling on either side is not helpful. It is legal by virtue of the First Amendment, but has resulted in a degradation of any possible dialogue. Ms. Malkin would have you believe that “Conservatives” goal should be to never work with people who disagree with you. Sorry, legislation involves compromise. Ms. Malkin also accuses liberals of being infantile, but what is mature about never compromising and only wanting your own way?
Sometimes I try to understand the thought process that must be going on in the minds of people like this who are supposed to be protecting us. The secretary of DHS sees no problem with millions of illegals coming and going across our borders as they please ? How can any sane person not see the threat here ? Maybe we need to have random drug testing or psychological examinations of people in powerful positions. Clearly this man has no conception of reality .
I heard DHIS (Dept of Homeland INSECURITY) Chertoff the other day (think it was on Rush) trying to explain why the 14-mile fence near San Diego had not seen the last 5 miles completed, in spite of overcoming environmental challenges.
Dumbkoff Chertoff, the most inept Cabinet appointment in the Bush Administration (Minetta doesn’t’ count because he was a holdover, thought W was stupid for keeping him on) tried to explain away the reasons as that of “ENGINEERING” problems due to the landscape in and around Smugglers Gulch and the Tijuana Estuary.
He, like all other pinhead elites inside the beltway, must think we are frikkin idiots.
The greatest country in the world, stymied over an “engineering” quandary? Yeah, right!!!!
Has this moron never heard of the Hoover Dam; the Brooklyn Bridge; the Panama Canal; or how about the Twin Towers? (I can imagine he’d rather not reminded of that one).
Okay, here’s an easy one for Chertoff/Kennedy/McPain/Bush, et al.
THE ALASKA CANADIAN HIGHWAY:
“The construction of the 1,522 mile long road from Dawson Creek, British Colombia, to Fairbanks, Alaska through rugged, unmapped wilderness was heralded as a near impossible engineering feat.
The official start of construction took place on March 8, 1942. On September 24, 1942 crews from both directions met at Mile 588 at Contact Creek and the highway was dedicated on November 20, 1942 at Soldiers Summit.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Highway
Gee, 65 years ago, some of our best and brightest (MILITARY) though most had no highway building experience were able to build a 1500 mile road in 8 months.
If anyone believes the sop that we are being “promised” in the new bill (300 miles of fencing as opposed to 850 approved last year) will EVER be built, and the RINO’s and DimoRats will keep their “word,” well, I’ve got some nice, cheap land in LA I’m looking to sell–that’s Lower Louisiana, by the way.
<blockquote>On June 21st, 2007 at 12:47 pm, Rick Moran said:
HEY MIKE! How does it feel to be the incompetent head of the most spectacularly inept agency in the Federal Government!</blockquote>
Rick, in all fairness, I think you have to acknowledge that this is hyperbole on your part. As spectacularly, hilariously inept as DHS is, the State Department is a close second…
Michael Jerkoff is a product of the Mind of Bush; no more and no less.
Heh. OK - I’ll give props to the State Department for being more inept than DHS. But at least State has Condi Rice, a brilliant woman by all accounts. Chertoff couldn’t find a terrorist if he was sitting on one.
RM
Rick, You believe Chertoff is incompetent and I don’t disagree–Katrina is Exhibit A. However, his department is not getting the resources it needs to control the borders, because the business sector that controls the Bush administration wants the borders open.
But, why are Conservatvie bloggers so hyper-sensitive. One way you are surely going to get into michellemalkin.com is to take a swipe at bloggers and that is big. Just like the way to get on Fox News is to be a missing blonde young woman or a convicted felon (Bernie Kerik, Ollie North, Gordon Litty).