Who Will Blame Jim DeMint?

You’re overreaching again Bob.

Ok, someone blocks a TSA Chief Nominee, you know the guy who is supposed to be in charge of telling the rest of the TSA’s organization how to screen passengers and check out people through checkpoints. This guy, however, is not confirmed by the very person who blames the President because he didn’t nominate someone “he” could confirm easily. Which means that the person in charge is probably another Bush holdover, who didn’t have the gumption to update policy after January 20, 2009.Overreaching my ass.

You’re damn right Chris, and Bob!Their GAMES have real consequences.We need to reboot.

Oh, and that ain’t even the worst part, Bob. According to Ben Smith, Republicans did this.”Republicans have cast votes against the key TSA funding measure that the 2010 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security contained, which included funding for the TSA, including for explosives detection systems and other aviation security measures. In the June 24 vote in the House, leading Republicans including John Boehner, Pete Hoekstra, Mike Pence and Paul Ryan voted against the bill, amid a procedural dispute over the appropriations process, a Democrat points out. A full 108 Republicans voted against the conference version, including Boehner, Hoekstra, Pence, Michelle Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Darrell Issa and Joe Wilson.The conference bill included more than $4 billion for “screening operations,” including $1.1 billion in funding for explosives detection systems, with $778 million for buying and installing the systems.”Here’s Sen.DeMint trying to cover his ass again.UPDATE: DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton responds:Democrats have only themselves to blame for not having a confirmed TSA administrator. President Obama waited 243 days in office before making a nomination and Harry Reid has been too busy trading earmarks for votes on health care to schedule debate on the nominee. This is an important debate because many Americans don’t want someone running the TSA who stands ready to give union bosses the power to veto or delay future security measures at our airports.And this is everything in detail that they voted against in this bill.For necessary expenses of the Transportation Security Administration related to providing civil aviation security services pursuant to the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107–71; 115 Stat. 597; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note), $5,214,040,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011, of which not to exceed $10,000 shall be for official reception and representation expenses: Provided, That of the total amount made available under this heading, not to exceed $4,358,076,000 shall be for screening operations, of which $1,116,406,000 shall be available for explosives detection systems; and not to exceed $855,964,000 shall be for aviation security direction and enforcement: Provided further, That of the amount made available in the preceding proviso for explosives detection systems, $778,300,000 shall be available for the purchase and installation of these systems, of which not less than 28 percent shall be available for the purchase and installation of certified explosives detection systems at medium- and small-sized airports: Provided further, That any award to deploy explosives detection systems shall be based on risk, the airport’s current reliance on other screening solutions, lobby congestion resulting in increased security concerns, high injury rates, airport readiness, and increased cost effectiveness: Provided further, That of the total amount provided, $1,250,000 shall be made available for Safe Skies Alliance to develop and enhance research and training capabilities for Transportation Security Officer improvised explosive recognition training:…For necessary expenses of the Transportation Security Administration related to providing transportation security support and intelligence pursuant to the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107–71; 115 Stat. 597; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note), $1,001,780,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011: Provided, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, $20,000,000 may not be obligated for headquarters administration until the Secretary of Homeland Security submits to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives detailed expenditure plans for air cargo security, and for checkpoint support and explosives detection systems refurbishment, procurement, and installations on an airport-by-airport basis for fiscal year 2010: Provided further, That these plans shall be submitted no later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

One might ask, Bob, why it took until September to nominate a new chief?I’ve watched some of the hearings on this issue. The Republicans ARE focusing on the Union issue. I’m not sure how the head of TSA would have the authority to implement any deal with any union. Seems like stall tactics to me.Still, why did it take until September to start this process?

You know, I think we liberals need to start attacking the right and stop playing nice. We aren’t operating in a nice political climate and republicans play very dirty. The ignorant masses in this country, the ones who swing back and forth in polls, don’t do substance. They do outrage, or poutrage as the case may be, so real progressives need to crank up the rhetoric and get dirty. The good part is that we don’t have to make shit up like the right does, we can use facts and back them up, but still pound them hard with it. Maybe it IS time to start the investigations into Bush and his cronies. Start a Hypocrisy Watch on Olbermann, start a progressive lobby that runs ads, pounds people….oh, wait, Moveon used to do that and is still trying, but they have been successfully discredited by the right and the media. We need something fresh. The best defense is a good offense, “they” say.

I wouldn’t take DeMint’s account of anything without actual proof. And regardless of when the nomination came about, DeMint is still the idiot who is holding this up for bullshit political reasons and that should be the focus. You need look no further than the stalling the GOP has done all year long to know why many nominations have been held up. That party is a disgrace. I hope that they are the one’s who get their assed kicked next year. Can’t you just seen the stunned look of disbelief on their stupid faces?

Well obviously Obama hates America

@PPP why the delay until September? Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s been quite a domino effect with all of the WH’s actions, particularly with nomiations though. The Rethugs have purposely held up a ton of things and as each nomination process gets slowed down, more WH resources are spent trying getting it to move forward. This slows everything else down. As does major crises, such as, ya know, bank failings…….Seriously with all that is on their plate and how much this WH has accomplished, asking this type of question is “con-trolling”.

@Bob First news item I noticed this morning on CNN and Yahoo was ‘Will the public partially blame Repubs?’ and now it’s changed to ‘Key security agencies lack permanent leaders’–this one from AP. The AP story is taking @PPP’s slant, why did it take 8 months to nominate TSA and CBP? They do, however, note that even if someone had been announced Congress couldn’t even schedule a hearing for the nominees because of the way Healthcare has bogged down the schedule. What they DON’T say is that the higher up positions were already filled such as McDonough (WH Ch of Stf for Security Council), Napolitano (Dir of Homeland Sec), etc. NOR do they mention the way in which everything the President has done has been obstructed in some way by the Rethugs.

Someone mentioned on this post or another, we need a new org like MoveOn that is so loud and clear, showing Americans that the “loyal opposition” is loyal to themselves and their corporate masters and NOT to the well being of our country as a whole.

The Republicans play that game way better than Democrats. W would have no problem chiding Dems for delaying something and saying that they were endangering Americans, or not doing the people’s business. Obama will never say that. It will be the friendly “there are disagreements, but I think we can overcome them” sort of talk.I’m still very puzzled. It’s been a few days now and we haven’t had an “I told you so! He’s not keeping us safe” out of the Cheney’s. Have they suddenly found some dignity? Are they worried that the masterminds were released on their watch (which is no doubt the fault of the Democrat Congress and politically correct wimpy progressives (art therapy? in Saudi Arabia? Don’t those guys chop off heads for masturbating or something?)) and they might be asked why?Where are they?

You tell em Sen. Dement. Why would we want collective bargaining agreements and improved working conditions for the people responsible for our lives in the air? It’s not like good jobs attract a higher quality applicant or anything.