Posted on 09/20/2005 8:56:57 PM PDT by johnmecainrino
WASHINGTON Sep 20, 2005 — A Democratic senator threatened Tuesday to block approval of a Homeland Security Department nominee until he receives a secret FBI memo about terror suspect interrogations that he's been seeking for months.
The threat against Julie L. Myers, tapped to head the department's bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, came amid lawmakers' concerns that she lacked the experience to head the federal government's second-largest investigative force.
Asked if he planned to use legislative delaying tactics against Myers nomination, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said: "Oh yeah. If we don't get the documents, sure."
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At issue is a heavily edited May 2004 e-mail from FBI agents seeking guidance about questioning terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay.
In February, Democratic senators began asking for an unedited version of the memo to see if it mentioned or involved Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who headed the Justice Department's criminal division from 2001 to 2003. The Justice Department denied the request, saying the memos contain "information covered by the Privacy Act," and had nothing to do with Chertoff.
Myers was Chertoff's chief of staff at the time, said Levin, who also delayed Chertoff's nomination in February for a week to protest being denied the names of people who sent and received the e-mail. Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, said Levin's tactic holds "the safety of the American public hostage to the pursuit of a political agenda."
The White House on Tuesday expressed support for Myers.
"Julie Myers is well-respected within the law enforcement community and highly qualified to lead the Immigration and Customs Enforcement," said White House spokeswoman Erin Healy. "We will work with the Senate to ensure her confirmation."
Questions by senators last week about whether Myers has enough experience for the ICE post came on the heels of former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown's resignation after widespread criticism that he had little previous emergency management experience. Myers is a former Treasury official and assistant U.S. attorney.
Also you notice how the media won't show the new head of FEMA Paulson who gave a breifing today on the preparation of Rita.
He lead the Miami Fire Department and is eminently qualified with 30 years of emergency response background. MSM doesn't care about saving lives only about controversy.
All the attention on Brown's appointment is total BS. Fema has 2,600 employees by comparison NYDP has 40,000 officers. Fema is not a first responder, their job is mainly to help with housing and hand out money. Fema's job is too assist the governor, the governor can block fema like Blanco did in getting food and water to the convention center. Governor blocked fed's request for rapid response firefighting teams deployed at 9 locations around US from homeland security dept.d Katrina had also hit florida and fema had people down there too. Mayors, county commissioners, governors want fema to have no power.
It was Blanco who waited 20 days to let out of state doctors in, it was Blanco who didn't waive the order to let military take pets right away, it was Blanco who wouldn't agree to federalize it so fed troops could have gone in being able to defend themselves and also be able to do search and rescue going into homes.
It was Brown who prepositioned the coast guard and it was Brown who had Bush call the mayor and governor why haven't you called evacuation order yet.
You didn't hear about Brown during 9/11 because Guliani is better than Nagin and NYPD weren't running off to Vegas. You didn't hear about Brown during Florida's four hurricanes because Florida evacuated all of tamps last year 3 days before Charlie just to be safe, had buses to help evacuate the needy, let aid from the red cross in, let salvation army in, and asked for outside national guard help days before.
The attention shouldn't be on Brown, the investigation should take place looking at the corruption of New Orleans city hall and state house.
Recess appoint Tom Tancredo.
Why would you favor blocking the nominee?
Of course it goes without saying Levin's reasons are partisan, but if this person is unqualified vote her down. If qualified, confirm her. But I don't approve of blocking a vote. Senators should have the guts to do their job and confirm or deny on basis of qualifications. Then take the consequences, good and bad, for the work product of a nominee approved.
His "let's nuke Mecca" comment killed his chances at higher office.
Brown wasn't appointed to FEMA until 2002.
In any case, Brown was woefully unqualified for his post, just as Julie Myers is unqualified for the post she's up for. Bush is supposed to be the "national security" president. To learn that he's sticking unqualified cronies and neices of cronies (Myers) in critical national security posts during wartime comes as a shock to those of us who thought he took that responsibility seriously.
Brown was general counsel of fema during 9/11 , brown came to fema right after bush's first inauguration. Brown was hired not by Bush but by Joe Allbaugh then the FEMA head. By the time Allbaugh left Brown was deputy director of fema and in line to take his job.
Condi Rice is qualified for sec of state, Colin Powell was qualified, bush has made many good appointments.
You are falling into the MSM trap Brown had no problems during 9/11 or Florida's 4 hurricanes last year. This wasn't the first hurricane to hit. Brown had dealt with 161 natural disasters. No one and I mean no one could be successful when Blanco and Nagin are making the decisions and refusing your help.
You watch how Texas handles the hurricane, they have plans, the mayors, judges, county commissioners, governor, attorney general in texas are a million times better than the incomptent fools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
You tell me anyone that could work with Nagin and Blanco.
Fema has people in North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi and they only have a staff of 2,600. Louisiana has ten times the man power that Fema has. There were 8,000 national guard troops in Louisiana under Blanco's control. She didn't activate them until after the storm. Fema is not a first responder they are there to hand out money after the storm hits.
I don't understand this attention on Brown Fema is not a first responder and has very little authority on anything. The states have their own laws, and then you have parish presidents, mayors, state emergency management agency, police, state police.
Fema is getting this attention when all the shots were being called at the Louisiana State Emergency Management office.
If you want to blame Bush let him be able to make the decisions instead of Blanco and Nagin if not put the blame where it belongs.
Why have so many people on this board blindly defended the woefully unqualified and inept Michael Brown? It's unnerving and disturbing. Are we only interested in defending every lame crony appointment the president makes? Or are we looking to keep the country secure during wartime by having the best people in place in critical national security posts? To even mention Rice and Powell in the same breath as Michael Brown demonstrates a startling inability on your part to distinguish between quality people and hacks.
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