http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_12/021674.php
December 29, 2009
DEMINT BLOCKS TSA NOMINEE.... A few weeks ago, there was a mildly
embarrassing dust-up over the Transportation Security Administration
posting materials online that, if manipulated, revealed sensitive
security information. When "The Daily Show" did a segment on this,
Jon Stewart highlighted the fact that the TSA doesn't actually have
an administrator.
What Stewart didn't mention is why.
An attempt to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight from Amsterdam to
Detroit on Christmas Day would be all-consuming for the
administrator of the Transportation Security Administration -- if
there were one.
Instead, the post remains vacant because Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.,
has held up President Barack Obama's nominee in an effort to
prevent TSA workers from joining a labor union.
President Obama nominated Erroll Southers, a former FBI special
agent and a counterterrorism expert, to head the TSA a few months
ago. Southers is the Los Angeles World Airports Police Department
assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence, and the
associate director of the University of Southern California's Center
for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events. Two Senate
committees considered the nomination, and easily approved Southers
with bipartisan support.
But the Senate hasn't been able to vote on the nomination because
DeMint hates unions, and isn't sure if Southers might allow TSA
workers to organize. Without that guarantee, DeMint not only opposes
Southers' nomination, but prefers to leave the Transportation
Security Administration without a permanent administrator.
This realization, in the wake of the attempted terrorism on
Christmas, should make DeMint back down. It hasn't -- he still
supports blocking Southers' nomination until he knows TSA workers
won't unionize. The terrorist threat is bad, but the threat of
collective bargaining is the real danger.
Also note, congressional Republicans also opposed funding for the
TSA, including money for screening operations and explosives
detection systems.
The GOP is desperate to politicize the attempted terrorism. That's
probably not a good idea.
--Steve Benen 9:20 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (27)