Withdraw Myers

NRO ^ | September 22, 2005 | Masthead Editorial

[neverdem]

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September 22, 2005,

2:16 p.m.

Withdraw Myers

Just three days after Michael Brown resigned as head of Federal Emergency Management Administration because of the botched response to Hurricane Katrina, the Senate held a hearing for another unqualified nominee for a vital position in the Department of Homeland Security. The president’s supporters can look forward to serving in his administration, but certain key jobs ought to be reserved for candidates whose personal connections don’t outweigh their professional qualifications.

Julie L. Myers has been nominated by the White House to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a vast bureau with more than 20,000 employees and a budget of $4 billion. As head of ICE, Myers would be in charge of detaining and removing illegal aliens; investigating alien smuggling, illegal arms exports, and money laundering; fining the employers of illegal aliens (well, actually they don’t bother with that any more); plus many, many other responsibilities. She would be the officer chiefly responsible for protecting the nation against terrorist threats once they have succeeded in infiltrating our borders, which are guarded by a different bureaucracy. Her most relevant previous experience was managing only 170 employees and a $25 million budget while at the Commerce department.

Given the importance of the position and a history of mismanagement in the immigration service, Congress took the unusual step of inserting a statutory requirement that nominees have a minimum of five years of experience in both management and law enforcement. Even a cursory reading of her resume reveals that the well-connected 36-year-old attorney’s background fails to comply with this legal requirement; in fact, she meets the bare minimum only by counting her current stint in White House Personnel, where she manages, by her own account, “up to three deputies as well as support staff and interns.”

It’s not entirely fair to compare Myers to Brown. Managing horse shows had no connection to the work of FEMA, whereas Myers’s experience at the departments of Justice, Commerce, and Treasury does bear on some of the work of ICE. In a future Republican administration, after she has acquired more experience, she might be an outstanding choice for this job. But naming her at this stage in her career, especially given her connections, smacks of cronyism.

Her nomination highlights the administration’s desire to keep immigration enforcement on a short leash, lest some rogue official embarrass the White House by actually enforcing the immigration law. It exposes the administration to yet another Michael Brown fiasco if, as is eventually likely, a terrorist eludes the demoralized immigration agents at ICE on his way to killing Americans.

"The response of House Republicans

to any talk of new immigration

programs has been

‘Enforcement First.’"

Columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin has suggested a much better pick for the ICE job: Peter Nuñez — Navy veteran, Reagan-era U.S. Attorney in San Diego, and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement during the first Bush administration. His views on immigration are more in line with those of NR than the White House, but this should actually be an additional selling point: By selecting Nuñez as the nation’s top immigration-enforcement officer, the president would have much more credibility with Congress and the public in trying to sell his immigration proposals.

The response of House Republicans to any talk of new immigration programs has been “Enforcement First.” Replacing Myers with a more suitable candidate would signal that the White House takes these concerns seriously. Obstinately sticking to the nomination would send the opposite message.

	http://www.nationalreview.com/editorial/editors200509221416.asp

[jbwbubba]

I don't think NRO is qualified to judge this woman, so I urge the staff at NRO to resign. So there!

[NCSteve]

I don't think NRO is qualified to judge this woman...

Would that be because you think the Bush Administration incapable of both cronyism and appointment of incompetents? What basis would you have for such a belief? It sounds like the NRO authors have offered plenty of evidence to back their analysis. Can you offer some to refute it?

[GarySpFc]

Myers' uncle is none other than the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard B. Myers.
,br> When I first saw the headlines and started reading the article my heart flopped, because I have been very upset with Bush's lack of border enforcement. However, when I read the above sentence in another article my position changed immediately.

I went to high school for four years with Dick Myers, and knew him well. Indeed, he will be at our 45th class reunion this coming Saturday. Believe me when I say he was the sharpest kid on the block, and then some. Those of you who served in the military know all too well how difficult it is for a "nice guy" to be a general, which Myers is at heart. He is one classy smart individual. I can tell you Myers' niece is sharp, very sharp. She is also very close to her uncle, and they talk about everything. The only concern I have is if Bush or others in the administration stop her from enforcing the laws. I am a hawk on immigration, and if this lady is given the reigns she will do an excellent job.

[BushisTheMan]

I will. Several people have said she has great administrative skills. Don't ask me to provide a link because I heard it on the news.

To me, if someone doesn't want her, she must be good.

And your commens about cronyism and appointment of incompentents means you are a Liberal, a Libertarian, or a fool.

[Ben Ficklin]

If Carl Levin, the union, and Maulkin are opposed to her, I support her.

[montag813]

I agree Myers should be withdrawn. Michael Savage should be nominated for this post.

[truth_seeker]

There are several retired generals, and law enforcement executives that have the background and track record for this assignment.

Not a 36 year old lawyer, female or male. With zero immigration experience. Zero law enforcement experience.

Period.

[gubamyster]

ping

[luvbach1]

She's kind of cute so maybe she'll be ok.

[Falconspeed]

Thanks for the good news. I have trust and hope in Julie Myers.

I know it sounds weird to do so after John and Ken bagged her on KFI yesterday. But, there are laws that need to be enforced to stop the illegal entry to US problem and hopefully J. Meyers will defend the law.

[JustAnotherOkie]

Hell no...She's good lookin'

[blackie]

Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!

Support our Minutemen Patriots!

Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!

[luvbach1]

Assume you were facetious in your nomination of Mike Savage, but he'd probably do a heck of a job. But he wouldn't accept the post.

[janetgreen]

Replacing Myers with a more suitable candidate would signal that the White House takes these concerns seriously. Obstinately sticking to the nomination would send the opposite message.

GWBush has been sending a clear message for five years that he has absolutely no intention of enforcing immigration laws. Anyone who hasn't received that message yet is deaf and blind. Cronyism lives on in Washington.

[raybbr]

To me, if someone doesn't want her, she must be good.

I don't want Hillary in office. Do you think she is then, good?

And your commens about cronyism and appointment of incompentents means you are a Liberal, a Libertarian, or a fool.

Your defense of this appointment means you can't be objective and are probably a kool-aid drinking "republican".

[dennisw]

Deep six his niece. INS always seems to be a dumping ground for political appointees (hacks) and do nothings. They never take real action and actively deport illegal aliens. You know it and so do I.

[raybbr]

I went to high school for four years with Dick Myers, and knew him well. Indeed, he will be at our 45th class reunion this coming Saturday. Believe me when I say he was the sharpest kid on the block, and then some.

And, of course, he's the exact same individual he was 45 years ago, right? He hasn't been changed by decades of public service? He doesn't do whatever Bush tells him?

Sorry, your endorsement is outdated and irrelevant to this discussion. She is probably nothing like her uncle.

[Plutarch]

I know it sounds weird to do so after John and Ken bagged her on KFI yesterday.

Please elaborate on what John and Ken did.

[Steelerfan]

Here is a resume that appears to date from her time at commerce:

Julie L. Myers
Julie L. Myers was nominated by President Bush on June 26, 2003, and confirmed by the Senate on October 17, 2003, to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce. Ms. Myers is responsible
for developing and coordinating the Department's efforts to prevent, and where necessary, sanction violations of U.S. dual-use export control laws nd the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Act. She manages Commerce Special Agents who work at eight field offices in the
United States, and oversees Export Enforcement's international attache program. Ms. Myers also provides policy guidance on issues relating to
export controls, national security and nonproliferation.

Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Ms. Myers served as the Chief of Staff of the Criminal Division for Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff at the Department of Justice. Before that, she served as the
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Money Laundering and Financial Crimes at the Department of Treasury. She also worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York and as an Associate Independent
Counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel for Kenneth W. Starr.

Before entering government service, Ms. Myers was as an associate in the litigation section of Mayer, Brown & Platt. Immediately after law school, she served as a law clerk to Judge C. Arlen Beam for the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Ms. Myers is a native of Shawnee, Kansas. She received her B.A. from Baylor University in Texas and her law degree from Cornell Law School.

Based on the schools, the firm she worked for and the clerkship she probably is very intelligent. Whether that is enought to qualify her for this job seems to be an open question.