Ridge Resigns Homeland Security Post
That's right: Ridge is out, according to the Associated Press, as quoted on ABC News and many other outlets. His ostensible reason is that he wants to spend more time with his family. The speculation as to the "real reason" seems to be endless; I found one site, for example, claiming that Ridge resigned because he was miffed that Bush didn't choose him as his Vice-Presidential running mate. (The site also rants that the terrorists are not a threat. "War on fear"? Puh-leeze.)
Just as I expect no shortage of "real reasons" offered for his stepping down, I also expect no shortage of rumored candidates to replace him. At the top of my list: Rudolph Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York. He certainly handled himself at least as well as, or better than, anyone else could have when he was effectively commanding in a war zone on September Eleventh itself. So why not have him as, in effect, the director of emergency prevention and response for the whole country?
One candidate I hope the President does not pick, is Asa Hutchinson, the current director of immigration enforcement. Under Hutchinson's non-leadership, border security has become a sick joke, and it's getting sicker. Don't just take my word for it; ask Roy Beck over at Numbers USA. Frankly, I think Tom Ridge ought to have been fired, and Asa Hutchinson along with him, on this ground alone. Security begins at the border, and we already know that the border is porous enough for someone to drive a truck through it--laden with a nuclear device. (You can't put a nuclear device in a suitcase--but you can certainly build one small enough to put into a truck trailer.) Worse yet, everywhere that someone could sneak into this country "looking for work that's too dirty for an American to do," a terrorist operative could also gain entry.
NumbersUSA understands this--and much more--and has directed its members to send FAX after FAX to Undersecretary Hutchinson, Secretary Ridge, and President Bush. Now that Secretary Ridge is gone, Bush has an opportunity to fix a very serious security problem.
Just as I expect no shortage of "real reasons" offered for his stepping down, I also expect no shortage of rumored candidates to replace him. At the top of my list: Rudolph Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York. He certainly handled himself at least as well as, or better than, anyone else could have when he was effectively commanding in a war zone on September Eleventh itself. So why not have him as, in effect, the director of emergency prevention and response for the whole country?
One candidate I hope the President does not pick, is Asa Hutchinson, the current director of immigration enforcement. Under Hutchinson's non-leadership, border security has become a sick joke, and it's getting sicker. Don't just take my word for it; ask Roy Beck over at Numbers USA. Frankly, I think Tom Ridge ought to have been fired, and Asa Hutchinson along with him, on this ground alone. Security begins at the border, and we already know that the border is porous enough for someone to drive a truck through it--laden with a nuclear device. (You can't put a nuclear device in a suitcase--but you can certainly build one small enough to put into a truck trailer.) Worse yet, everywhere that someone could sneak into this country "looking for work that's too dirty for an American to do," a terrorist operative could also gain entry.
NumbersUSA understands this--and much more--and has directed its members to send FAX after FAX to Undersecretary Hutchinson, Secretary Ridge, and President Bush. Now that Secretary Ridge is gone, Bush has an opportunity to fix a very serious security problem.
posted by Temlakos at 7:54 PM
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