[cyberscribbler]

Not another homeland security hack
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by Michelle Malkin

Washington refuse to learn two vital homeland security lessons, one from 9/11 and the other from Hurricane Katrina.

Lesson Number One: If you neglect immigration enforcement, you will regret it.

Lesson Number Two: If you appoint political cronies in times of crisis, you will regret it.

The Bush administration has barely rebounded from the resignation of horse show organizer Michael "Heck of a job" Brown from FEMA, and yet is pushing forward with the nomination of another inexperienced bureaucrat to a key post at the Department of Homeland Security.

If this is supposed to be a shining example of Karl Rove's political genius, get him some stupid pills quick.

The new crony waiting in the wings is attorney Julie Myers, the White House pick to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). At the risk of stating the painfully obvious, the agency Myers would spearhead deals with "enforcement" of "immigration" and "customs" laws and policies. Myers has practical and managerial experience in none of the above.

Zip. Nada. Nil.

As I've reported many times over the past several years, one of this country's greatest vulnerabilities is its disgraceful lack of clear and consistent interior enforcement of our immigration laws. The detention and deportation system remains in shambles. Rank-and-file ICE agents are undermined routinely by open-borders superiors.

So, what exactly are the 36-year-old lawyer's main credentials to solve these dire national security problems? Her uncle is Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Her husband is DHS chief Michael Chertoff's current chief of staff, John F. Wood. Chertoff was also Myers' former boss for a short spell at the Justice Department's criminal division. Myers also worked at the Department of Commerce on export control policy under Michael Garcia, the departing head of ICE.

Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman, told the Washington Post: "She's well-known and respected throughout the law enforcement community. . . . She has a proven track record as an effective manager." That is most certainly not what I'm hearing from rank-and-file employees at ICE and other parts of DHS, who have been brutal and vocal in criticizing Myers' nomination. By contrast, the silence of the usual open-borders suspects on the Left to this Bush appointment is rather telling.

Myers and her supporters think some cute sound bites will paper over her lack of qualifications for the job. "I realize that I'm not 80 years old," Myers testified at her nomination hearing last week. "I have a few gray hairs, more coming, but I will seek to work with those who are knowledgeable in this area, who know more than I do."

Please, spare us the not-so-clever rejoinders about age and wisdom. Reagan could pull them off. Myers can't. Why hire someone who needs to "seek to work" with those "who know more than I do" in order to her job? Myers may be perfectly capable of writing legal briefs and organizing policy conferences. I'm sure her knowledge of export controls is second to none. But as long as the borders are broken and al Qaeda continues to exploit lax immigration enforcement, she has no business heading ICE -- or any other DHS agency.

Old habits die hard, unfortunately. The Bush administration, like the Clinton presidency before it, has continued entrenched Beltway practices of installing no-nothing political seat-warmers in high places within the immigration bureaucracy. Bush appointed Eduardo Aguirre, a banker with zero experience in immigration law, to head DHS's Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Bush has also named several Republican Party operatives with zero experience in immigration law to immigration court posts. It's hack heaven at DHS.

This must end. Cronyism and national security are a deadly mix. Do we really want to wait until another mass terrorist attack happens to finally learn that lesson?

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[Scalewoodman]

I read the first chapter of Tip O'Neil's book and had to put it down... eventually got 50 cents for it in a garage sale... Ed Rendell and his fat cat Dems wrote the book as they have for generations. Going back to the early Union days political back slapping and cronyism has and continues to be a way of life for Democrats. No one does it better than the Democrats so it is amazing that you and the liberal puppet Malkin would jump on this... and ironically 'Immigration' suddenly looking to dump any idea of human rights and close the borders.

Patronage-- replacing key positions with those friendly to your administration-- has been around for generations. I know you're digging deep looking for dirt in your 'Hate Bush' campaign but it's just not there-- only unenlightened readers will fall for it.

[LicenseForMayhem]

INo one does it better than the Democrats so it is amazing that you and the liberal puppet Malkin would jump on this...

I think Malkin is usually quite conservative.

[fishbulb]

Indeed, Michelle Malkin is a well-known reactionary right-wing pundit. She may be most (in)famous for writing a book that defended the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.

[darleneann]

scalewoodman,
No one would agree more that Dems have been involved in cronyism. Why does that make this right? Why does that mean we shouldn't want the best? i have no idea why one excuses the other. It's stupid.

[cyberscribbler]

Patronage-- replacing key positions with those friendly to your administration-- has been around for generations.

The federal government's role in national disasters has been around for generations. Not dismissed as an excuse for timely inaction. When it fails to respond efficiently, it needs to be investigated.

There's a big difference between awarding loyalty to qualified candidates and appointing someone with no practical experience.

the agency Myers would spearhead deals with "enforcement" of "immigration" and "customs" laws and policies. Myers has practical and managerial experience in none of the above.

it is amazing that you and the liberal puppet Malkin would jump on this

who said this about Hillary Clinton " "It has become increasingly evident that our nation was not prepared," Sen. Clinton, D-N.Y., lectured in a Labor Day letter to President Bush. Yes, thank you, Sen. Sherlock. Those gleaming degrees from Wellesley and Yale Law are really paying off."

I know you're digging deep looking for dirt in your 'Hate Bush' campaign

It's not very deep, front page, top story in many enlightened reader's minds.

[mclaren]

I'll have to agree with Malkin on this. It's one thing to hire a highly-qualified firm like Halliburton to work specific tasks or to appoint your brother Attorney General as long as he's qualified. It's another to put people with no experience in national security positions just because they are part of your inner-circle.

[darleneann]

[Scalewoodman]

Making me feel special!

This post has been edited by Scalewoodman: 22 September 2005 - 01:42 PM

[darleneann]

Oh dear. Cupid's arrow seems to have gone awry.

(But yes, you're special, scalewoodman.) Was just so impressed with mclaren's answer that was overcome with emotion.

[justaposter]

I read the first chapter of Tip O'Neil's book and had to put it down... eventually got 50 cents for it in a garage sale... Ed Rendell and his fat cat Dems wrote the book as they have for generations. Going back to the early Union days political back slapping and cronyism has and continues to be a way of life for Democrats. No one does it better than the Democrats so it is amazing that you and the liberal puppet Malkin would jump on this... and ironically 'Immigration' suddenly looking to dump any idea of human rights and close the borders.

Patronage-- replacing key positions with those friendly to your administration-- has been around for generations. I know you're digging deep looking for dirt in your 'Hate Bush' campaign but it's just not there-- only unenlightened readers will fall for it.

Dont need to dig deep when it is presented to the country by the administration for all to see.

liberal puppet Malkin

You must be kidding with that one. Shes so far right she makes Rush blush , and Coulter gain weight.

[mclaren]

XOXO

[usedmeat]

Idiots Abroad
This quote was in Sid Vicious's column yesterday, and I suppose he just left it hanging because it was so obvious. But, sadly, it isn't actually obvious to enough people so we should spell it out. Karen Hughes:

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: I haven't really heard a lot of that. I had one person at one lunch raise the issue of the President mentioning God in his speeches. And I asked whether he was aware that previous American presidents have also cited God, and that our Constitution cites "one nation under God." He said "well, never mind" and went on to something else. So he sort of was trying to equate that with the terrorists' (inaudible). So I explained that I didn't really think that was something you could equate. And he sort of dropped it and moved on. He was one of the opposition leaders in Egypt.

Would someone please send Hughes a copy of our constitution? It'd be nice if, maybe, she actually knew what was and wasn't in it.

Another qualified Bush appointee!

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

This post has been edited by usedmeat: 01 October 2005 - 12:23 AM

[Hawkeye]

Commendable of the President to dispatch such a brilliant and highy educated emissary to explain American values to the Islamic world. Ms. Hughes is to diplomacy what Michael Brown was to FEMA, just another good ole crony. One drowned in the flooding of New Orleans, the other equally at sea in the intricacies of Islamic history and culture.