TSA Without Leader Thanks To Jim DeMint

McClatchy Newspapers:

An attempt to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day would be all-consuming for the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration -- if there were one.

Instead, the post remains vacant because Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has held up President Barack Obama's nominee in an effort to prevent TSA workers from joining a labor union.

Read the whole story: McClatchy Newspapers

Comments

[StewartG]

03:06 PM on 01/01/2010

seriously, Headline should be: "Obama Nominates Another Scoundrel to a Cabinet Position".

In the WashPo today:TSA nominee misled Congress about accessing confidential records

You might hate DeMint, but do you really want anymore of these nominees with scurrilous backgrounds again? People lying to the FBI, people not paying their taxes, etc... There has to be qualified people out there.

You want Obamas nominees just rubber-stamped? Are you pro-america, or pro-obama?

[Lahonda]

06:30 PM on 12/31/2009

The Dutch and the Nigerians screwed up their end of proper airport security and the usual CIA/FBI/DHS information drill review ensues. The system needed a wake-up call.

My suggestion? Follow President Obama's lead. Republicans cannot function in the light.

[vendorwrites]

10:39 AM on 12/30/2009

Okay, I just got through reading a lot of the comments posted on here.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO???? WE NEED TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE IN 2010 TO THE REPUBLICANS THAT THEIR BLOCKING ANYTHING FROM GETTING DONE IN CONGRESS IS OVER. WE MUST VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!

[returnofthejedi]

05:30 AM on 12/30/2009

As a matter of fact I want ask all of you who are supporting Demint in this charade. How do you calculate nominating a pro union TSA director into caring more about unions than the national security of the country? How does that type of math work. What school did you learn that at?

[jody44]

02:27 AM on 12/30/2009

Jim DeMint is a fine example of a Republican.

[returnofthejedi]

05:31 AM on 12/30/2009

Well lately that should be considered an insult.

[medic628]

12:45 AM on 12/30/2009

DeMint you say that you are not for the President's nominee because he might support employees of TSA in a possible quest to form a union. I propose to you that you are against him for one reason only, that being that he is Black. Given that you are a white male from South Carolina and the illustrious history that you both have in these matters ( The list is to long), I make the contention that you have shown your bigotry and have introduced something new in the code book of racist vernacular. You have exposed your true nature, another example of a dixiecrat.

[lj9283]

12:10 AM on 12/30/2009

Just typical of Right Wingers to prefer their dogma over national safety.

[Ifticar2]

07:47 PM on 12/29/2009

Why won't the nominee just say no to unionizing TSA and get on with getting confirmed and doing the job? Why does he consider unionizing the TSA more important than tending to the security of the traveling public? Why does Obama consider unionizing more important than safety of the traveling public. Maybe if Obama has chosen the TSA nominee with eye out for National Security rather than National Socialism then the Christmas bombing attempt would never happened.

[returnofthejedi]

08:40 PM on 12/29/2009

That is just about the most ridiculous comments yet. Why would the fear of seeing people bargain with there boss caause Mr. Demint to hold up the nomination? Why can't Mr. Demint drop the ideology and stop obstructing? How is holding up the nomination helping the citizens of his state or any other?

[datenutloaf]

08:45 PM on 12/29/2009

Apparently, the 'right'folks like to be known as ignorant and loud .

[Ifticar2]

09:13 PM on 12/29/2009

The systemic problems that resulted in the Christmas attempt are well above the pay grade of the union workers. Unionizing will not solve those problems. Insisting on unionization will not solve the systemic problems Obama spoke about. The fact the Obama and his nominee care more about unionization then solving the systemic problems is very telling. In fact one can safely assert that single minded insistence on unionization not security is, in and of itself, a systemic problem.

[jazzman]

07:39 PM on 12/29/2009

Maybe this will be Jim DeMint's Waterloo.

[datenutloaf]

08:47 PM on 12/29/2009

I will rejoice at the fall of another slime.

[Frederic]

09:48 AM on 12/30/2009

From outside, one cannot understand how Americans tolerate such traitors in patriots' skin.

[dct1999]

06:25 PM on 12/29/2009

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/29/obama-flight-253-plot-is-_n_406502.html

[PhDcommonsense]

06:11 PM on 12/29/2009

Finally someone who sees Peggy Noonan the way I see her --- All bluster with nothing to really say. By the time she gets through heming and hawing, you forget what she was asked.

Sen. Jim DeMint is indicative of the who current Republican Party is, and that is they would rather make and score Political Points rather than see the Country move forward. They are actually and truly putting the whole country at RISK. The Republicans are using lies and distortions when it comes to the Truth. Mary Matlin, wants us to believe that 9/11 was on Clinton's Watch. When Clinton was trying to bomb terrorists, the Republicans said it was just a cover-up to protect himself from the scandals.

But the Pundits and Talking heads would have you believe that the Democrats are going to be so hated because of Health Care that they are going to give the Country back to the Republicans.

The Republicans' obsession with blocking all things Obama even when it is the right thing to do, is BORDERING on fanaticism. I hope the voters wake up and let the Republicans know they are hurting the Country in 2010.

[Ordo ae Chao]

06:24 PM on 12/29/2009

I agree with you that DeMint is truly reflective of the current repugnantcan party--more extreme than some. This party is DEFINITELY putting the country at risk. It is a sad day for politics.

As to talking heads, pundits, and Noonan, Jason Linkins deals with all of them very appropriately with his Sunday live blogs.

[chancho24]

05:20 PM on 12/29/2009

Irshad Manji speaking with Chris Matthews on Hardball.
I think she's cool, but she reminds me of Peggy Noonan with those same annoying hand gestures and even in the way Noonan speaks.

[VictoriaP]

05:23 PM on 12/29/2009

agreed, smart, good message but sooo annoying, hard to take her seriously

[KO4Pres]

05:25 PM on 12/29/2009

Pheew, I'm exhausted from watching her...

[ClearingtheAir2010]

05:36 PM on 12/29/2009

She's a heck of a lot smarter than CM and it was annoying that he kept interrupting her with his inarticulate fearmongering.

[NWRICK]

05:16 PM on 12/29/2009

Hellooooooooooo
Did everyone leave?

[whatthel]

05:19 PM on 12/29/2009

It seems to have slowed to a crawl all of a sudden.

[NWRICK]

05:20 PM on 12/29/2009

Must have gone to the new main.
Banking. Blech.

[NWRICK]

05:19 PM on 12/29/2009

lol
I guess so.

[missouriwatcher]

05:07 PM on 12/29/2009

ANY political party that places its own selfish interests ahead of the Constitution and/or the well-being of the country has no defensible reason to exist. The Republican Party has, by its leaders' and members' words and actions, put itself into this category. They have behaved like traitors by doing what they have done, and should be removed from whatever office they hold and their Party should be banned. Although I have on rare occasions voted for their candidates, I will NEVER do so again. They are the most dispicable Party out there.

[NWRICK]

05:10 PM on 12/29/2009

That sums it up pretty well.
I too have voted Repub from time to time.
Never on a national level, that I recall, but my state AG and state Sec of State are both Repubs that I voted for.

[missouriwatcher]

05:50 PM on 12/29/2009

Yep. I moved from TX while GW was gov (Most don't know that the governor of Texas is a weak position with very little power.) to take a position in MO. Both states are sickingly Republican. I guess the water pollution has numbed thinking of the majority in both.

[Ordo ae Chao]

05:29 PM on 12/29/2009

Excellent post. They are indeed dispicable. They are beyond comprehensible as well. What sort of people go about pompously proffering "faux patriotism", while doing everything within their power to delegitimize the presidency, caring more about defeating their opponents rather than working towards accomplishing goals for the people in this country. I agree with you..."they have behaved like traitors by doing what they have done".

Fanned for your post.

[missouriwatcher]

05:47 PM on 12/29/2009

Thank you, Ordo. I am constantly reminded of how the party who took us to war, then diverted the war from the real enemy, and that is always spouting fear does all it can to sabotage our President and what the Dems are trying to accomplish that is important for America. Extreme partisan politics at its most nauseating.

[NWRICK]

05:04 PM on 12/29/2009

85 comments pending?
Come on HP, set them free!

[trollslayer69]

05:06 PM on 12/29/2009

might not be a bad thing, looking at some of the post. How are you Rick?

[NWRICK]

05:08 PM on 12/29/2009

You may be right at that.
Pretty good except for getting stood up on the job today.
How are you?