Posted on 12/14/2004 2:18:26 AM PST by West Coast Conservative
President Bush is courting Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., a former Democratic vice presidential can-didate, for a Cabinet post, presumably sec-retary of homeland security.
Lieberman couldn’t be reached for com-ment Sunday, but an aide said that if Lie-berman were asked to accept a nomination, it would most likely be the homeland secu-rity post.
The Washington Post, citing two anony-mous sources, reported Sunday that Bush wants Lieberman for a Cabinet position.
With former New York police Commis-sioner Bernard Kerik’s unceremonious with-drawal Friday from consideration as the nation’s next secretary of homeland secu-rity, Lieberman’s name has popped up again among a half-dozen others as a candidate for the post.
In recent weeks the New Haven Demo-crat said repeatedly he has not been con-tacted, nor did he expect to be, but that if he were asked, he would consider any re-quest.
As the top Democrat on the Senate Gov-ernmental Affairs Committee, a panel charged with oversight of the executive branch, Lieberman co-authored both the bill that established the Department of Home-land Security, and pending legislation that would reorganize the U.S. intelligence com-munity. The bill is awaiting Bush’s signature.
The latter legislation, passed last week in Congress, would specifically place U.S. in-telligence operations — civilian and mili-tary — under a single director of national intelligence.
The four negotiators that shepherded the bill to passage, Lieberman, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Jane Harmon, R-Calif., and Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., were all asked after votes last week whether they had been approached about that job.
"We’re still waiting for the call," Collins said.
It’s been speculated that once Bush signs intelligence reform into law, former U.S.
Rep. and current CIA Director Porter Goss would be tapped for the intelligence post.
(Excerpt) Read more at nhregister.com ...
I can't see the President picking Lieberman for DHS either. If there's any substance to this trial balloon, it's only a trial balloon to mollify Lieberman for some later objective in the Senate.
certainly she is, but if he strips 10% of her support (I can't believe there aren't 10% of Democrats out there not satisfied with Hillary), that would be something I think....
but in the end, he isnt going to be the DHS and he wouldnt be a good one anyway...
Lieberman's not sane enough for DHS, by a long shot. See #75 on this thread.
It's not being floated by the Bush administration, IMO.
The same or similar crew that floated the "Cheney will be off the ticket", is what I think.
Lieberman had a chance to prevent dead bodies, but chose instead to block the Sensenbrenner provision from the Intelligence bill.
So what if he has said these things? It's not like Bill Cohen was a huge supporter of Clinton's policies, but still got appointed to a very high cabinet post. He will serve at the pleasure of President Bush. Bush has also some ideas concerning immigration reform that I'm sure you also disapprove of. But it needs to get to the forefront of the national debate, not stay in small committees. This nation was founded by immigrants, and as such we need to be sure we remain a land of the free. Otherwise, might as well just knock the Statue of Liberty into the drink.
If you can get Lieberman to stop the process of party-thought, this would be a good move. If Lieberman accepts the seat because he "believes it's the right thing to do", what can the Democrats say? If he says "NO", what does it tell the public?
Right now, after only five minutes of thinking, I think this is a good move. Lieberman can do the job, and the Islamic Pukes won't like having a Jew in charge of the office.
Lax laws for issuing drivers licenses to illegal aliens also enabled at least seven terrorists to obtain drivers licenses and use them to board planes on 9/11. Lieberman just blocked a provision in the intelligence bill that would have prevented terrorists with licenses from states with such lax laws from using that identification to board airplanes.
Congressman David Dreier has said that Lieberman's oppostion to the Sensenbrenner provision would make him not a good choice for DHS Secretary.
"So what?"
I agree... get Lieberman out of the Senate and away from the DNC's sway and see what you have. The Senate has become so politicized and polarized, people often say things contrary to their convictions, and it happens on both sides of the aisle. When you are a national figure, if you want to maintain a sense of politic, then you look at the makeup of the Union. Which party did well in the last election? Joe could easily be a Republican, especially if we are forced to claim Chafee, Snowe, and Collins.
See #75. Lieberman is unsuited for a post at DHS.
Why-all the hyph-ens?
I don't see any major problems here. And I'm somewhat of a "Borders, Language, Culture" guy myself.
So you are saying if I have an Ohio Driver's license, I cannot use it for ID to board a plane in Texas (which I have to do later this week)???? WTF? I have to use a passport to board a plane? A national ID card? Maybe my debit card will do.
By allowing the use of State drivers licenses for federal identification purposes, such as boarding airplanes, we avoid having a national card.
Why should states that make it easy for terrorists to obtain drivers licenses be allowed to compromise domestic security?
The effect of the Sensebrenner provision would have been to pressure states with lax requirements for issuing drivers licenses to go back to the drawing board and tighten things up. Why would that be a problem?
Skipping the rheotoric a bit, driver's licenses for illegal aliens is a relatively minor issue. He would work for the President, and philosophically, the two are almost indistinguishable on national security issues. Lieberman certainly has more in common with Bush than with the party of Howard Dean and John Kerry.
I'm sick of "political" appointees. DHS will require a strong leader if it is to be effective. I don't consider Lieberman a leader. A strong military background should be first on the list. People who will serve the Nation in spite of the political winds. Who's out there besides Tommy Franks?
Which is why I'm all for having a national ID card, keyed to our social security number. If you don't have a Social Security number, you don't belong here.
I know, I know. "Not to be used for identification purposes." That's rich; everyone uses it that way. Might as well nationalize it and use it for security. The cat's already out of the bag, might as well use it.
I cannot stand that man he is a whiner, and he has no upper teeth when he speaks. I just don't trust him.
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