Friday, July 12, 2013

Catch of the Day

To Christian Beckner at Foreign Policy who notes that, with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announcing that she's leaving, that there are now -- ready? -- 15 key slots at that department that will be vacant.

Let's see...I think I'll do this one bullet point style.

* It's fairly likely that there are other similar cases at other departments and agencies. Hey, reporters! There are stories out there about this stuff.

* Some of this really is a filibuster story. Some of it is about the impossible vetting standards that have built up over time. Senate reform is only a part of the solution, here.

* And some of it is almost certainly Barack Obama's fault. Indifference to governing? Failure to understand the importance of personnel? Don't know. I do know that every failure to appoint someone to fill a vacancy is a wasted opportunity.

* Yes, it's still the case that nominations, both judicial and executive branch, are Obama's biggest unforced errors of his presidency.

* Democrats haven't receive nearly the bashing they deserve over the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Terrible idea to begin with, and as far as I can see it's had even worse consequences than I expected. 

* And that's not to mention the awful name. 

* Nevertheless, there's nothing to be done about the department as a whole at this point. It would just create more pointless set-up costs.

* Did I mention the awful name yet? 

I think that'll do it for now. Also: nice catch!

4 comments:

  1. I am totally okay with no nominee being nominated and gutting this unnecessary agency.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Homeland did sound a bit Teutonic, even at the beginning. At least we didn't go with Fatherland Security.

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  4. The best thing Obama could do for Dems is somehow convince Susan Collins to be DHS Secretary. Would finally give the department some use.

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