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HELENA - Tom Ridge, the former and first head of the federal Department of Homeland Security, took after Democratic Senate candidate Jon Tester on Wednesday, saying his call to repeal the federal Patriot Act is "ludicrous." Ridge, who said he was asked by former Republican Montana Gov. Marc Racicot to share his views with Montana reporters, said Tester's recent call to repeal the Patriot Act is "unfathomable, almost inexplicable." Tester, a Big Sandy farmer and current president of the Montana Senate, is challenging U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. In a debate with Burns in Butte on Saturday, Tester said he...

Ridge urges GOP to unite behind Swann By Mike Wereschagin TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, May 31, 2006 Former Gov. Tom Ridge urged Republicans to put aside their misgivings about Lynn Swann and unite behind him in his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

Ridge to join Swann's campaign By David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann hopes to get a boost by adding former Gov. Tom Ridge, a heavy hitter in Pennsylvania politics, to his campaign team.

...........A federal judge who outlawed the teaching of "intelligent design" in Dover science classes told graduates at Dickinson College that the nation's founders saw religion as the result of personal inquiry, not church doctrine. U.S. District Judge John E. Jones gave the commencement address Sunday to 500 graduates at Dickinson College, his alma mater............... "The founders believed that true religion was not something handed down by a church or contained in a Bible, but was to be found through free, rational inquiry," said Jones, who was thrust into the national spotlight by last years court fight over the teaching of...

Massachusetts Bishop Refuses to Present Award to Pro-Abortion HonoreeHOLYOKE, Massachusetts, March 3, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, of Springfield Diocese, has said he will not present an award for distinguished achievement to a recipient who is pro-abortion.  In long-standing tradition, Bishop McDonnell presents an annual award, on behalf of the St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, to honor someone of Irish descent for distinguished achievement.This year, the John F. Kennedy Award will be presented to a recipient who is pro-abortion, and the Bishop has expressed his objection. Thomas J. Ridge was selected by the Committee to receive the award on...

ERIE, Pa. - Laura Ridge, the mother of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, died Tuesday. She was 82. Ridge died at Saint Mary's Home of Erie after an extended illness. Tom Ridge stepped down as governor in 2001 to become head of the U.S. Homeland Security Department. The Ridge family emphasized education - her other son, David Ridge, is an attorney and daughter Vikki Ridge is director of human resources at Princeton University. But she always saw them first as family. After her son was elected governor in 1992, she said, "I'll always be Laura Ridge, no matter what Tom...

Twenty Years after TWA 847, No Lessons Learned By Debbie Schlussel Twenty years ago, this week, Hezbollah terrorists hijacked TWA Flight 847, and trampled Navy Diver Robert Stethem to death. Stethem's only crime was being American. The hijacking and murder was among the first televised Islamic terror attacks against Americans, unfolding on TV screens over 17 days. Twenty years later, disturbing kowtowing to Hezbollah terrorists shows we've learned nothing from Stethem's brutal murder at the hands of Islamic terrorists. On September 11, 2021, will it be worse? On June 15, 1985, Hezbollah hijackers seized the TWA flight in Athens. Identifying...

A few weeks ago I posted the question regarding Newt as a potential Presidential candidate.This week, as the result (or consequence) of a brief conversation with a scale master in Pennsylvania, the idea of Tom Ridge for 2008 was developed.He left Gov. of Pa. in relatively good graces ... he has (as far as I know) good paper ... he had a successful? stint as the first Homeland Security Director ... Marine (notice I did not say ex-marine ... Semper Fi!) ...And now the time comes to throw this out into (out into?) FreeRepublic.I'm inclined to like Ridge as a...

ATLANTA - Tom Ridge, the former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and former governor of Pennsylvania, was named to Home Depot Inc.'s board of directors, the home improvement retailer announced on Thursday. "Tom Ridge served his country with great distinction, and we are honored to have him join our board, where we expect that his unique global experience and perspective will make a profound contribution to our company and our shareholders," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and CEO. The appointment of Ridge brings the number of directors on Home Depot's board to 13. This includes 12 outside directors,...

No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration. There's no issue where the beliefs and interests of the party rank-and-file diverge more radically from the beliefs and interests of the party's leaders. Immigration for Republicans in 2005 is what crime was for Democrats in 1965 or abortion in 1975: a vulnerable point at which a strong-minded opponent could drive a wedge that would shatter the GOP. President Bush won reelection because he won 10 million more votes in 2004 than he did in 2000. Who were these people? According to Ruy Teixeira —...

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) issued a statement on Thursday blasting soon to be former Homeland Security Sec. Tom Ridge after reports that funding for 2,000 additional border patrol agents mandated by the recently passed intelligence reform bill would likely not be included in the DHS budget proposal. "I'm disappointed but not surprised as Mr. Ridge has never taken border security too seriously," said Tancredo, head of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus. "It's equivalent to denying a crime ridden city more officers for protection, it simply makes no sense." Tancredo also expressed concern that three years after...

WASHINGTON - Americans' fingerprints should be added to their passports, outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Wednesday, hoping to include the United States in a growing global security standard but risking a privacy fight at home. Ridge said passports could ideally include biometric finger scans — for all 10 fingers — to help customs officials quickly and accurately identify U.S. travelers. He offered no details on how the plan might deal with privacy concerns or guard against international identity theft. "If we're going to ask the rest of the world to put fingerprints on their passports, we ought to...

Tuesday: The president talked about Social Security reform, laying more groundwork for understanding among the citizenry and their Congressional representatives. Bush nominated Judge Michael Chertoff to replace Tom Ridge, outgoing Homeland Security director. President Bush granted The Washington Times an extensive and exclusive interview: Bush: 'I don't see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord' Today: President Bush spoke at J.E.B Stuart High School in the Washington suburb of Falls Church, VA, to promote his second-term education agenda under the No Child Left Behind law. Inaugural dress and gowns info found here! I get my wish...

(Washington-AP, Jan. 6, 2005 4:03 PM) _ U.S. intelligence monitors are picking up less terror threat talk than a year ago, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Thursday. A variety of factors could be contributing to the lull, Ridge said, and he warned that terrorists "are strategic actors and long-range planners" who could be merely lying low before striking again. "There certainly is a diminution, reduction in the amount of intelligence, and the decibel level is lower," Ridge told reporters, comparing information picked up over the past several months to the similar period a year ago. Ridge offered no single...

A New Kind of New Year's ResolutionWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Instead of the usual New Year's resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more, the Department of Homeland Security is urging Americans to create a family emergency plan for any terror attack. "The start of a new year is a time when many Americans are inclined to think about ways to make improvements for the future," departing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Wednesday. "Creating a family emergency plan is a great place to start. Families can create a plan that will allow them to know how best to communicate...

Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who is President Bush's nominee for secretary of homeland security, has the right background and tough-guy temperament for the job. Tom Ridge performed admirably in setting up the new department, but there are advantages to his successor having experience in law enforcement. One unresolved concern during Ridge's tenure has been the department's uneven coordination with and support for first responders - the local fire, police and rescue units that would be on the front lines of any terrorist attack. These agencies often complain that they lack the timely information, training and equipment to...

President Bush has chosen former New York City Police Commis sioner Bernie Kerik to replace Tom Ridge as secretary of Homeland Security, and it's hard to think of a more enlightened choice — for America, or for the city. Who better, after all, than New York's top cop on 9/11 to ensure America's security? On that horrible day, Kerik was right in the thick of things. He watched nearly 3,000 fellow citizens die — including 23 of his own officers. Not only is he super-sensitive to the high price Americans could pay should another strike on U.S. soil succeed,...

T om Ridge's resignation was expected and understandable, given the stresses of serving as the nation's secretary of homeland security. President George W. Bush appointed the former Pennsylvania governor and congressman to the new Cabinet post a few weeks after the 9/11 attacks. The Vietnam veteran faced the staggering task of creating an agency that would assume security responsibilities from 22 federal agencies and eventually employ some 180,000 workers

...Kerry accused the Bush administration of failing adequately to police the six million cargo containers flowing into the country each year.... This absurdity, in fact, conceals one of the great, low-budget successes of the war on terrorism. A rule was instituted overnight requiring shippers to deliver an electronic manifest of every container to U.S. Customs 24 hours before it's loaded aboard a ship in a foreign port. The info is fed through a classified, rule-based screening program to identify "high-risk" cargos, shippers or handlers, with the targeted containers undergoing X-ray or physical search before loading.... All this was done... for...

Tom Ridge was the best secretary of homeland security this country has known. And now that he's joining the exodus from the administration, President Bush has a chance to appoint someone better. Mr. Ridge gets credit for agreeing to be the new cabinet secretary whom the president did not want. But he failed to step up to some of his greatest challenges. In the end, as the first head of the newly created department, Mr. Ridge became known best for, well, playing with colors. Drafted from Pennsylvania just when America was in the throes of high anxiety, Mr. Ridge took...

Citing creative differences with the Bush administration, Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge today resigned his cabinet post to become the new CEO of Binney & Smith, makers of Crayola crayons. "It's a growth opportunity for me," said an emotional Mr. Ridge at a hastily-called news conference. "I'm 59 now, and it's time to move beyond the five colors in the Homeland Security Advisory System. At Binney & Smith, I'll oversee an operation that often packs 128 different shades into a single box." Privately, associates of Mr. Ridge acknowledge that he has often clashed with President George Bush over expanding...

No details.

Since we can't post USA Today - You can read the article here REPORTS: RIDGE, THOMPSON TO STEP DOWNBut considering the source it may not be true.

Tony says his sources are telling him this..

The Transportation Security Administration issued an advisory on Friday that a Piper PA 25 Pawnee crop-dusting aircraft was stolen from Ejido Queretaro, near Mexicali, Mexico, on Nov. 1. "Although there is currently no indication that this has any connection to terrorist activity," the TSA said, "the theft is cause for concern. Past information indicates that members of al-Qa'ida may have planned -- or may still be planning -- to disperse biological or chemical agents from cropdusting aircraft." The stolen aircraft is registered in Mexico and bears the tail number XBCYP. If you see the aircraft, the TSA says you...

Interior Secretary Creel meets with U.S. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge to coordinate security measures. Wire services El UniversalMiércoles 10 de noviembre de 2004 Top U.S. and Mexican authorities said Tuesday they had taken significant steps to increase security along their shared border, but acknowledged it is a "very attractive" possible route for terrorists wanting to harm the United States. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Mexican Interior Secretary Santiago Creel said officials on both sides of the border have redoubled their security efforts without interrupting the steady flow of commerce that is so important to the strong...

As most know I write for a moderately sized newspaper here in Florida. Earlier this evening there was some inside discussion from D.C. that Colin Powell will step aside as SOS and that of all people Newt Gingrich is rumored to be tapped for the spot. Also,Tom Ridge might be gone as well. Rumor...Bernard Kerik would take the spot.

According to Fox: He will speak about recent tapes and ongoing threat but he will not raise the nationwide threat level.

http://jb-williams.com/10-5-04.htm How to support Kerry for President Written by JB Williams ©2004-10-05 In order to cast a vote for John Kerry, you first have to believe he is fit to be Commander-in-Chief. Now some don’t believe he is, namely 95% of all the decorated vets who served beside him in Vietnam, more than 70% of all living retired military personnel, and more than 80% of those serving in combat today. But what do they know? Besides, as the Democratic Party points out at every opportunity, what Right do these people (who spill their blood for our freedom) have to speak...

THE adult film industry is hoping to pump up John Kerry's somewhat flaccid presidential campaign with "The Porn for Kerry DVD." Pro-Kerry group Pornforprogress.com is hawking the dirty disc, which has porn stars portraying the likes of Jenna Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Ann Coulter, Al Franken, Tom Ridge and Lyndie England. All proceeds from the DVD, tastefully described as "part political satire and part hardcore hot sex," go toward Kerry campaign efforts in swing states.

Cat Stevens comments...........

WASHINGTON - Terrorists still hope to disrupt the U.S. democratic process even though the presidential nominating conventions and other high-profile gatherings this summer went off without incident, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Tuesday. Threat reporting over the last several months has been "consistent, general and credible" and indicated the al-Qaida network is trying to push ahead with its plans, Ridge said. Although large events this summer were not attacked, he said, "that in no way diminishes the level of vigilance, awareness and concern that we have during this entire process." Ridge commented during a morning visit to the National...

I have the opportunity to meet with Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge on Wednesday August 11 and would like some input from the forum. My request is simple: You have the chance to ask one question of the Secretary, what would it be? I want to thank all who respond in advance, time is short and my calendar is full. (I can only lurk in the background, sorry….)

Terrorism: Your government tells you it has solid intelligence of an impending attack. Quick — what do you do? Of course, you scoff. Or suggest it's merely political.That's the sorry state of America's political discourse today: that a serious, credible warning of a possible terror attack leads not to calls for action, but to cries of political mischief and worse.Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge warned Sunday of an increased threat of terrorist attacks on financial "icons" — like the World Bank, IMF and New York Stock Exchange — in three cities.He cited compelling evidence from recent raids in Pakistan, including...

US homeland security chief Tom Ridge says it was essential to raise security alerts in some cities after analysing information on possible al-Qaeda plans. Mr Ridge said security had made it more difficult for terrorists, but vowed: "We will not become Fortress America." Warnings were issued on Sunday from what was said to be "new" information, though officials now say al-Qaeda gathered it up to four years ago. But some of it may have been updated as recently as January of this year. Meanwhile officials in Pakistan denied suggesting that information gathered following the arrest of an al-Qaeda suspect contained...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2004 — The United States must operate under the assumption that al Qaeda terrorists are already in the country, waiting to strike when they believe they can achieve success, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said today in New York City. Ridge traveled to New York to meet with local and state politicians and financial executives following the Aug. 1 decision to raise the color-coded threat level to orange, or high, for parts of New York City, northern New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Speaking afterward to reporters at the Citicorp headquarters, one of the financial-service sector buildings...

The President held a press conference in the Rose Garden today. He requested that Congress act to create the position of a National Intelligence Director. That person -- the person in that office will be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and will serve at the pleasure of the President. The National Intelligence Director will serve as the President's principal intelligence advisor and will oversee and coordinate the foreign and domestic activities of the intelligence committee. Under this reorganization, the CIA will be managed by a separate Director. The National Intelligence Director will assume...

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, with Department of Homeland Security Sec. Tom Ridge, President Bush talks about what steps he will be taking with regard to the recommendations made by the Sept. 11 comission in their final report a few weeks ago. Live Monday 11:20 ET (approx) on CSPAN

The US government has raised security alert levels to high in some areas of the capital Washington DC and New York. The Homeland Security Secretary said there was credible information al-Qaeda planned to attack financial buildings ahead of November's presidential poll. "This is not the usual chatter. This is multiple sources that involve extraordinary detail," Tom Ridge said. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank buildings and the New York stock exchange were among those named. A day earlier New York authorities warned residents and businesses of a possible new al-Qaeda suicide attack in the city. Mr Ridge said in...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States raised the security alert level to high for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, the New York Stock Exchange and companies in the New York area on Sunday after intelligence signaled a possible al Qaeda attack. "High," or code orange, is the second highest level of alert and this was the first time that specific buildings were cited in raising the alert level. "Reports indicate al Qaeda is targeting several specific buildings including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in the District of Columbia," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge...

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is considering stepping down after the November election, telling colleagues he is worn out...

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is considering stepping down after the November election, telling colleagues he is worn out from the massive reorganization of government and needs to earn money in the private sector to put his teenage children through college, officials said. Ridge will not make a final decision until he talks to President George W. Bush later this year and is focused on thwarting the terror attacks that officials fear al Qaeda will attempt before November, Assistant Homeland Secretary Susan Neely said. "Secretary Ridge is focused entirely on the job the president has asked him to do," Neely...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is considering stepping down after the November election, telling colleagues he is worn out from the massive reorganization of government and needs to earn money in the private sector to put his teenage children through college, officials said. Ridge will not make a final decision until he talks to President Bush later this year and is focused on thwarting the terror attacks that officials fear al-Qaida will attempt before November, Assistant Homeland Secretary Susan Neely said. "Secretary Ridge is focused entirely on the job the president has asked him to do," Neely...

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is considering stepping down after the November election, telling colleagues he is worn out from the massive reorganization of government and needs to earn money in the private sector to put his teenage children through college, officials said. Several senior Homeland Security officials told The Associated Press that Ridge has indicated in recent weeks he probably will resign after the election, even if Bush wins. They spoke only on condition of anonymity, citing the delicate nature of describing private conversations with their boss.

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is considering stepping down after the November election, telling colleagues he is worn out from the massive reorganization of government and needs to earn money in the private sector to put his teenage children through college, officials said. Ridge will not make a final decision until he talks to President Bush (news - web sites) later this year and is focused on thwarting the terror attacks that officials fear al-Qaida will attempt before November, Assistant Homeland Secretary Susan Neely said. "Secretary Ridge is focused entirely on the job the president has asked him...

Tom Ridge is now on FOX News talking about homeland security

BOSTON - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Wednesday the warnings he gave the public last week about a possible terror attack before the elections have nothing to do with politics. "We don't do politics at Homeland Security," Ridge said at a news conference, adding that the department's job is to transmit credible information to the public. Those who suggest otherwise have reached "rather cynical" conclusions, he said. With Boston Harbor behind him, Ridge said the government is doing everything possible to create an unprecedented level of security for the Democratic National Convention, which begins July 26. "Our goal is...

his is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39380 Monday, July 12, 2004 HOMELAND INSECURITY Border Patrol in alien 'hell' Despite new anti-terrorism demands, DHS freezes payrolls, frees illegals Posted: July 12, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Paul Sperry © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com WASHINGTON – Despite increased anti-terror demands, immigration inspectors guarding the nation's borders are laboring under an internal budget crisis that has forced freezes on overtime pay and new hiring – as well as the release of hundreds of illegal immigrants from detention centers. The funding crisis, which some lawmakers...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior House Democratic lawmaker was skeptical on Sunday of a Bush administration idea to obtain the authority to delay the November presidential election in case of an attack by al Qaeda, U.S. counterterrorism officials are looking at an emergency proposal on the legal steps needed to postpone the presidential election in case of such an attack, Newsweek reported on Sunday. "I think it's excessive based on what we know," said Rep. Jane Harman of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, in a interview on CNN's "Late Edition." Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warned...

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warned Americans to stay watchful for terrorism, saying that al Qaeda could be preparing to carry out a large-scale attack. His cry of concern, interpreted by critics as scaremongering, illustrates the administration's dilemma on homeland security, caught between deadly threats and partisan mischief. While precise knowledge of prospective assaults does not exist, Mr. Ridge notes that there have been credible indications that "al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process." Terrorists may be trying to follow...