Soft-on-terrorism corruptocrat TSA nominee resigns
Thump, thump, thump. With media attention focused last night on the Massachusetts Miracle, the White House found its opening to throw a disastrous homeland security nominee under the bus.
GOP Sen. Jim DeMint and Washington Examiner columnist Byron York deserve great credit for keeping the heat on would-be TSA chief Erroll Southers, as well as CNSNews.com and the Washington Post
Southers blamed his withdrawal on “politics.”
But it was his deceptive answers to Congress about improperly accessing FBI files to snoop on an ex-wife’s boyfriend, coupled with his security-undermining unionization zeal and his disturbing assertion that the war on terror should be treated on par with global warming, that earned him Obama bus skid marks.
DeMint’s statement:
January 20, 2010 – WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) made the following statement after President Obama’s nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Erroll Southers, withdrew his name from consideration:
“Americans deserve a leader at TSA with integrity and with an unwavering commitment to putting security ahead of politics. The White House never responded to requests for more information relating to Mr. Southers false testimony to Congress and his censure by the FBI for improperly accessing files. And Mr. Southers was never forthcoming about his intentions to give union bosses veto power over security decisions at our airports. TSA screeners can already join unions, but collective bargaining would force TSA officials to ask union bosses for permission to make critical security changes. The Senate could have had an open and transparent debate this week to approve Mr. Southers, but apparently, answering simple, direct questions about security and integrity were too much for this nominee. I hope the President will quickly put forward a new nominee that is fully vetted and that will put the safety of the American people first.”
On January 6th, U.S. Senators DeMint, John McCain (R-Arizona), Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska) wrote to the White House requesting documents and information surrounding the administrations vetting process of Mr. Southers and his censure by the FBI (PDF here). The White House never responded to the letter.
Once again, the withdrawal spotlights the Obama administration’s reckless evasions of public information requests about its nominees — and its embrace of radical nominees who show contempt for the rule of law. The Southers debacle, like the USAO nominee Stephanie Villafuerte debacle, the green jobs czar Van Jones debacle, and the Charles Freeman debacle, shows that neither the White House nor the vast majority of mainstream media outlets care about vetting at all.
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They are America-haters, period.
And adolescent, obvious ones at that, who make relatively little effort at BS-ing their way through by trying to pull wool over our eyes.
Wool?
They ain’t got no wool.
They don’t need no wool!
They don’t have to pull any stinkin’ wool over our eyes!
I always laugh when I here this kind of explanation from a politician.
“So coach, why were you fired?”
“Football.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but over half of the key positions in the adminnistration are as yet unfilled. This is why.
Yup, solid B+ there Barry.
Great news. He thought anti-government [my note: Tea Baggers?] and Christian-identity oriented” types were the worst terrorists!
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/59820
Basically shining the light on the COCKROACHES will make them scatter back to the woodwork… Let’s all keep the lights on the VERMIN that this administration will try to foist upon the AMERICAN PUBLIC… We as VOTERS, concerned about the future of OUR COUNTRY, can never have too much information!!!
The resistance continues. Michelle, doing the work the State Controlled Media refuses to do.
Time to ONCE AGAIN crank up the theme song.
Queue Freddie Mercury
What happened to the bus last night in Massachusetts? This happened.
What Sen. DeMint didn’t say:
“See, you bunch of Philistines? I’ve been trying to tell you this all along!”
…or something similar. He has been made the villain in this issue.
So does The President, the head of DHS, the majority leaders of both houses of Congress and probably 75% of all elected Democrats.
We should not be suprised this guy was nominated. They would consider him “normal” and “mainstream.”
I think we’re gonna need more buses. LOL
Bless Jim DeMint…for leading the very teeny weeny pack of squishy repubs……on this one……..
Don’t forget him at election time…….
Next: The child molesters’ friend.
Two Victories in One Day over the Obamanation and his Progressive zealots!
We still need to get that fisting-promoting “safe school” czar out of there. Keep up the pressure!
Michelle, you forgot your little DLTDHY or whatever it is.
That always makes me chuckle a bit.
Don’t forget school child
safetysex Czar Kevin Jennings. Time for that pervert to go too.Hi answer was terrible, but so was the question. He was asked about home grown terrorists.
Perhaps it would be wise to start putting all these failed Obama nominees on the “no-fly” list. Given libs’ penchant for violence in the name of a “cause”…
The Democrats use to filibuster Republican nominations and I wonder if they were worried this would happen now that they lost their super majority?
“. . . security-undermining unionization zeal . . . “
That is a foul mis-characteriztion. Many Police forces are unionized, including NYC’s. To suggest that unions in any way undermine security is plain wrong.
Moreover, Sen DeMint’s objection was not about the nominee’s FBI file surfing (yes, absoultely wrong) it was about unionization. The file surfing was dealt with in committee and even Sen Lieberman let it go.
Vote the guy in, don’t vote the guy in, but to come back and suggest the reason was over something you had no problem with earlier says more about you than it does about the nominee.
As for the White House, they should provide the requested information, or explain why they won’t.
Moreover, that does not dismiss the fact that the confirmation process is subject to whims of fancy, and that the process is and has been abused.
Just don’t try to get a cop when they’re on strike.
get ye back to the comfy confines of tenured no cut gubmint work. the real world won’t tolerate incompetent idiots for long.
Just in time for this story, an Israeli comedy show looks at the TSA and finds plenty to laugh at.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9BCco9hb94
You won’t know whether get enraged over the truths in this little skit about Homeland Security’s political correctness or just sit back and laugh your a$$ off. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
Skid marks?! Obama’s bus was doing donuts on the poor sob!
Obama: I give myself a B+!
I can’t say I’m sorry that this guy withdrew. I somehow don’t think that someone who is that unaware of what, where and how transportation security threats have arisen in the past decade (just to put some limits for the feeble minded). I mean is it ‘politics’ when there have been no airline hijackings, attempted homicide bombings of either airlines, bus or rail transport during that time frame by any of the groups he cited during his initial hearings. There have been by a group of people he seems to have assiduously and purposely omitted. It wasn’t white supremecists or even misguided Christians.
Mr. Obama has to date never managed to nominate a candidate for any cabinet or other patronage post except for Bush Administration holdovers who could be called ‘well qualified’ for the post. Instead we’ve been provided with an on-going parade of scarcely qualified (e.g., Mrs. Hillary Clinton) or criminals of the likes of Tim Geithner who it appears aside from substantial and material mis-statements on his income taxes may be more tied into the debacle at the Federal Reserve that led to the banking crisis than earlier suspected or Ms. Napolitano who has no qualifications or credentials in National Security, Intelligence or Emergency Management whatsoever to be in charge of the Department of Homeland Security.
Instead we have a parade of Obama flunkies, puppets or payola recipients that make up the cabinet and other patronage candidates that he’s tried to foist onto the people of the United States.
It doesn’t matter who Obama nominates for a post in his administration. They will be radical in some way. Count on it. And vetting? Ha! If any of his appointees were truly vetted, there would be no appointees. He doesn’t know any moderates. Never has, never will. He has been radical his entire life and all his mentors and cronies have been the same. Too bad the majority of citizens in this country didn’t care enough to find that out before they jumped on his marxist bandwagon.
ah yes zero’s administration, garbage in, garbage out.
The hell, you say!
Or maybe they’re going to post their answer to be viewable on their new White House iPhone app!
Yeah. Right.
We won’t! That guy is solid!
Gotta love all those Obama appointees…
Napolitano, Holder, Geithner, [Southers], etc.
/sarc
…talk about epic FAILURE. Sheesh.
Not quite. The NYC PBA is merely the bargaining agent for NYC police officers. Each rank has it’s own “union” bargaining agent – up to Captain. All NYPD “unions” are in fact officers of that specific rank – not outside unions like the Teamsters, etc.
Waiting for the press conference where someone asks Obummer what he thinks the biggest mistake of his first year has been.
I won’t hold my breath.
That’s because when he stumbles and mumbles during his “answer,” someone else will ask, “Diamonds or pearls?”
Good. His politics are bad.
It was also recently revealed that Southers believed that the greatest domestic terrorist threat is from people who are “anti-abortion” and “Christian identity”.
Link.
Press conference? When was the last time he had one of those?
By law, police officers cannot strike, meaning not showing up to work. However, they do picket and have the ‘blue flu.’ You’d still be able to get a police officer.
So, the police officers, by rank, in NYC have unions, but not unions related to the teamsters? Is that it? And, that is OK? ‘Inside’ unions, OK? ‘Outside’ unions, no?
Then you would accept the TSA having a union as long as it is ‘inside’ and not ‘outside.’
Do you think Sen DeMint’s opposition to the TSA nominee was because once the employees formed a union, they would strike, or because their dues would potentially be used for political reasons?
So, when seconds count, the police are only
minutes awayfaking being sick.b-cat,
It’s a “foul mis-characteriztion” for you to suggest that security can be undermined for not allowing the free market to determine manpower requirements and pay.
I have no doubt that zyzzyg can disprove prove that, dollar for dollar, unionized police forces are more expensive than non-union forces at providing equal security.
…and your comment says a lot about you.
Southers illegal file surfing was NOT dealt with in committee, in fact he lied when it was brought up in committee.
After he was voted out of committee and his nomination was sent to the full senate, he sent a letter to them saying his accessing the files was more than he said in testimony.
You can read it WaPo if you want.
to this one and hopefully soon to many more out there in DC land, don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
…to interview the victim, or show the coroner where the body is.
Former Malaysian PM Mahathir: 9-11 was staged, James Cameron’s Avatar as evidence
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/21/nation/5516554&sec=nation