It seems like Michael Chertoff has been tripping up at his job as Homeland Security Secretary from day one. And, after Hurricane Katrina, it seems to me he is constantly under fire for what happened (rightfully so), and I believe he should bare as much of the blame as Governor Kathleen Blanco, Michael Brown, President Bush, and Mayor Ray Nagin.
Michael Brown testified before a House Committee and said, "It appears to me that, you know, when Chertoff does things like tells me that I've got to go to Baton Rouge and plop my butt down on a seat in Baton Rouge and run a disaster from there, I think that shows naivete about how disasters are run," and that souynds right to me. Like it or not, the Department of Homeland Security is not only responsible for keeping terrorists out, but also for protecting our homeland, and national disasters fall into that category.
To be the Secretary of Homeland Security, you need to be well-versed in not only anti-terrorism, but in disaster management, too. A former federal Judge from Pennsylvania (who had only been on the bench 10 months, by the way) just doesn't strike me as big on disaster management.
I think Michael Chertoff needs to resign. He needs to be replaced with someone who is really well-versed in anti-terrorism and disaster management. And, since George W. Bush is a Republican, and would only want to nominate a Republican, what about Mitt Romney, Peter King, Rudy Giuliani, Susan Collins, or Joe Albaugh? And, if Bush wanted to be bi-partisan (and, get some really good people in the mix), what about the person to originally come up with the DHS, Joe Lieberman? Or what about James Lee Witt?
I think for the Department of Homeland Security, and in turn, the Bush administration, to be taken seriously on disaster preparedness, there needs to be a real Director, someone who really knows what they're doing.
Michael Chertoff is not that man.
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