Bush homeland security adviser resigns
Just in this morning. If you’re saying to yourself “Fran who?,” don’t feel bad. And if you’re also saying to yourself, “She’s not the only one who should be resigning,” you’re not alone:
Fran Townsend, the leading White House-based terrorism adviser who gave public updates on the extent of the threat to U.S. security, is stepping down after 4 1/2 years.
President Bush said in a statement Monday morning that Townsend, 45, “has ably guided the Homeland Security Council. She has played an integral role in the formation of the key strategies and policies my administration has used to combat terror and protect Americans.”
Who’s going to resign over the failure to protect Americans from security lapses like those that led to the Nada Prouty debacle?
Anyone?
***
Illegal immigration is still out-of-control, the deportation system is still an abyss, employer sanctions are still a joke, and jihadists are still among us, but at least Fran Townsend brought “glamour” to homeland security. “Glamour.” For crying out loud:
Townsend, the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, was one of the president’s most valued and trusted advisers, with a phone on her desk connecting her to No. 10 Downing Street, the British prime minister’s office.
She also brought a touch of glamour to a buttoned-down administration, and was one of the White House’s most popular television guests.
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Don’t hold your breath…
Let’s not everybody volunteer at once! But, on the other hand, DLTDHYITAOTWO, either.
Chertoff? Nahhhh. Too much to hope for. Besides he’d be replaced by another just like he is. Nothing significant in policy or competence is going to change until the next administration comes in. And it may just get worse.
I have some recommendations. How about some vets? We have warriors and wounded warriors to choose and I am sure the worst would be better than what has been advanced to date.
Oh, NO! Now how can we be protected from all the hand creme, tooth paste and other bath and body products! I need government to protect me! Ohaahahaaaa..Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh. HELP ME!
I have absolutely no confidence in those involved in the Nada Prouty debacle to do the right thing and resign from public service. The political appointees are just incompetent the criminals are those that have been in these Government agencies most of their adult lives continuing as proof of the “Peter Principal.” I would like to see many of these incompetent appointees back on the street.
Once you get into Civil Service and go 3 years without getting into trouble you are practically bullet proof. I just went over 6 years working for the Air Force in my second career (25 years active duty) with them and I could jump on the Wing Commander’s desk and pee on his head and only end up with a visit to the base shrink’s office. They are trying to rework the DoD civilians under the NSPS initiative (supposed to make it easier to hire and/or fire an employee) but the freaking Federal Government Employees Union has sued and won. Nothing I would like to see more in Government then their employees to be held accountable to the same standard of successful work performance or you are fired as those in the private sector. I still think like a GI and take my duties seriously unlike many of those I have interacted with in other Government agencies. DoD has it share of dead weight too and I know that NSPS scares the hell out of them, because their Military and Civilian supervisors will finally be able to doing something about their trouble employees.
And in other news, illegals continue pouring over the borders, and TSA agents let 60% of test bombs get through security.
Good job Fran.
Elmo, Ernie, Burt, Cookie Monster and Oscar…. Does that make Chertoff Big Bird?
So far no one has indicated by their posts they actually knew the name Fran Townsend … but I have seen her a number of times on various TV interviews …
Although, obviously, I can’t relate any direct knowledge regarding her exact influence on the terrorism policy I can relate that I have always liked the way she stood up to the MSM biased talking heads when they tried to grill her in their best BDS mode during her appearances on the Sunday talk shows …
I suspect this is just the beginning of many such changes for the remainder of this administration … not that unusual for folks to begin looking ahead and leaving for a new job before the final day comes …
There are aspects of our terrorism policy (and others) that I do not agree with whole-heartedly … but I still am glad we had GW in the oval office and not AG or JK … we would have been attacked a number more times I am sure because we would have tried to talk our way through it in the true Clintonian approach to the world …
No, I think Chertoff is the backside of Big Horse.
Good post Desertlover!
Who?? Oh never mind it doesn’t matter.
Good riddance.
Heh, Elmo is the highest terror threat. Thanks for the funny of the Sesame Street characters.:)
I love the Sesame Street characters AJ.
Them’s fighting words!
#4-
Be careful what you wish for, I have worked with some military personnel that I wouldn’t trust with my life. Remember kerry could be in charge of this fiasco.
However, IMHO, Alot of our trained warriors would be an improvement over this maddness. My suggestion would be for a senior E-6+/O-3+ from the Spec Ops (eg. SEALS, RECON, Special Forces, or DELTA Force) Community to take the lead. Heck, even Sherrif Joe Arapoe (sp?) would do a far superior job
GSP
Fran is an expert at “Executive Speak”
blah blah blah and say nothing!
Well said, DesertLover. I appreciated her knowledge and demeanor also. Merely another one headed to the private sector while the getting is good.
The Prouty issue is mind-numbing. Why is it that she obviously didn’t have to undergo the unbelievably strenuous screening that born citizens do when applying to the FBI or CIA? I was interviewed for three hours for an employee who applied to CIA and my interview came in the third round of screens nearly a year after her application was filed! CIA even traced her ancestors for three generations and verified their burial places.
But Prouty faked her marriage to obtain false ID, clearly orchestrated her way into highly sensitive matters, has clear ties to Hezbollah, rises to “star status” to grill al Qaeda sympathizers…and even managed to marry a state department envoy to the Middle East along the way? How?
Any wonder why most folks, regardless of politics, trust their US government officials about as far as they can pick them up and throw them?
I concur. I would prefer an anti-terrorism program to Bush’s open borders policies.
gsp … for future reference … it’s Joe Arpaio … we just call him “Sheriff Joe” …
EHeavenlyGads
I had a Top Secret Crypto clearance with a very high level access in the military … I concur about the length of time it takes to get a clearance … of any level …
It appears to me in the Prouty case that her husband being an employee resulted in a haphazard and less than thorough background investigation if there really was one … and I am beginning to doubt an investigation even took place other than on paper …
Boomer:
NSPS is not as bad as the unions would have you believe. That said, no matter what system is in place, the main problem is that supervisors are failing in their job to actually SUPERVISE their personnel. If they were to simply document shortcomings and rehabilitation failures, it wouldn’t be any problem to purge the workplace of substandard performers.
We have got to hold people accountable, and it starts from the top down.
Chertoff has set a record on incompetence and lack of experience, common sense and intelligence – he could be replaced by a box of rocks which would immediately elevate his office a few notches.
If you are depending on DHS to protect you, be worried.
Boomer,
I’m up at Elmendorf and we have just finished the first NSPS cycle. I’m still waiting for the official review and information on what the raise/bonus will be. The one nice thing is that you can point out all the ways you exceed standards, if you actually do your job well. However, once the novelty wears off, people will figure out how to use the system just like any other system. My biggest issue is that if you do well, the pay pool still gets to decide whether to give your pay-out as a bonus or a raise. That means that I could do my job extremely well and never get an increase in my base pay because the bosses can just hand out a bonus each year instead of actually raising your pay. I don’t think that will happen at the beginning but with the budget cuts, I can see the wing having to make a choice like that in order to keep enough money in the flying hour or other mission-oriented programs. It will be interesting to see what happens.
As far as the topic of this thread, it’s amazing to me that her security clearance check did not find this stuff a whole lot sooner. My clearance check has taken a year and they’ve sent FBI to talk to my undergrad profs, my parents, my colleagues, etc. There is no excuse for the failure of both the FBI and CIA.
Can’t we get rid of Chertoff and put someone normal in charge?
When General Petraeus is done in Iraq, I think he’d be a great choice.
Here’s an idea:
Michelle Malkin for Secretary of DHS! First order? Implement all necessary changes outlined in her first book, Invasion.
DLTDHYITAOTWO