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Erroll Southers, Obama’s nominee to run the Transportation Security Administration has withdrawn his name because he has “become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda,” according to the AP. Read: Jim DeMint doesn’t like unions, so I’m going to just run and hide. This is ludicrous.
The Obama administration’s choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name Wednesday.
In a statement, Erroll Southers said he was pulling out because his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda. President Barack Obama tapped Southers, a former FBI agent, to lead the TSA in September but his confirmation has been blocked by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who says he was worried Southers would allow TSA employees to engage in collective bargaining with the government.
As I wrote here when DeMint first attacked Southers that there is not one thing to fear from allowing TSA employees to collectively bargain. To think these employees would do anything that would allow any breach of national security as a negotiating tactic for their contract is off the charts insane. But DeMint pushed, and the White House buckled.
I wondered to myself about the possibility of TSA employees being able to collectively bargain even if Southers went through. I mean, DeMint’s objection is only in that Southers was open to the idea. Not that he had a grand scheme or even pushed the idea. He was open to letting employees bargain for contracts. And that was enough for DeMint to get all strung up. Now the country is still without a TSA director a month after an attempted bombing of a US airplane.
Here’s DeMint’s reaction to Southers’ withdrawal.
And Mr. Southers was never forthcoming about his intentions to give union bosses veto power over security decisions at our airports. TSA screeners can already join unions, but collective bargaining would force TSA officials to ask union bosses for permission to make critical security changes. The Senate could have had an open and transparent debate this week to approve Mr. Southers, but apparently, answering simple, direct questions about security and integrity were too much for this nominee. I hope the President will quickly put forward a new nominee that is fully vetted and that will put the safety of the American people first.
So, sorry TSA employees. It turns out the United States not only negotiates with terrorists, we’ll cave to their slightest demands.
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About Work in Progress
If a worker poison’s a politician for political means it’s called terrorism. If a politician poison’s a worker for political means it’s called democracy.
It’s been sadly apparent for some time that Obama lacks a spine, SOP for most Democrats, but does he even have a cell wall? Cripes!
I suspect the surrender happened at echelons above Errol Southers. There’s been a long history of surrender at that level to this sort of thing.
I guess a recess appointment, a favorite Duh-bya strategy, would have made the right unhappy.
yeah, demoralized staff making minimum wage will really keep the Homeland safer than unionized staff making a living wage.
but, if it is all just security theater and corporate welfare, then it doesn’t really matter, does it?
I sure hope Obama doesn’t have a cell wall. If he does, we should stick to our own kingdom next time.
What the fuck. Did the white house not learn one fucking thing yesterday. How the hell did this man ever fataher two children with such a limp dick.
CNN is reporting Steny Hoyer and the White House are just hunky-dorey with a watered down healthcare bill. How much more fucking watering down is possible? And why the hell are all the media dumbasses saying that Obama has moved the country too far to the left. Never mind. I know the answer to that.
Fuck it, I’m getting drunk.
Another capitulation that screws the base, this time unions! Way to go, Dems. Looks like they’ve learned all the wrong lessons from yesterday.
I thought the idiot GOPers were full of shit when they called Dems “surrender monkeys”. Guess not.
time to send jello boxes to any pol,who shimmers like gelatin
New Senate Democratic talking points, distributed in response to last night’s special election in Massachusetts show the party pre-emptively placing the blame for a lackluster agenda moving forward on Republicans, who Dems say they now need to pass legislation.
“Republicans have an obligation to the American people to join us in governing our nation through these difficult times and to help clean up the mess they left behind,” reads the memo obtained by TPMDC. “It is mathematically impossible for Democrats to pass legislation on our own. Senate Republicans to come to the table (sic) with ideas for improving our nation and not obstructionist tactics.”
Full memo at http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/dem-talking-…
Is Dawn Johnson next?
Why would this guy step down when the appropriate response to Demented DiMent would be to call the fucker out? He should have said, “So you wanna play rough, do you? Fine. Pick the time and place and I’ll be there…you piece of shit…”
The Demos had better think about growing a spine and getting bold on some initiatives or they’re going to get stomped come November. They will deserve it and we will suffer for it. Idiots.
Color me unsurprised. Rahmbama & the rest of the Dems are obeying their corporate masters every baby step along the way.
Rahmbama tosses out nominees, such as Mr. Southers, as a sop to progressives, but then shrug their shoulders & fling out their hands when Republics like DeMint PREDICTABLY stall. And Rahmbama looks at progressives and says: gee whiz, ain’t it awful? Just can’t do a thing about it. It’s all those darned Republic’s fault. Now, back to the back room where I can make the “real” appointment that the corporations want.
Kabuki show; all kabuki show. I don’t blame Mr. Southers for withdrawing. What’s the damn point???
Southers didn’t surrender. Obama did. He’s already on his heels from the MA election loss and it will only get worse.
Aside from the politcal arguments, what value do you believe unions would provide the TSA?
At some point, I would hope the argument that Republicans are threatening national security is exposed as being not entirely truthful, considering the fact this man’s nomination didn’t reach the senate until November.
As a conservative who grew up in a union family, I have such contempt for unions and view them as merely another form of corrupt, strongarm government – on a smaller scale. Union strength equates to more politicans being bought. I thought that is what we both are trying to eliminate.
This is a win, win, win for Obama. He gets to cave to a Republican. He gets to look weak. And it allows him to stick it to unions. From the White House point of view, what’s not to like? As a bonus, this should make recruiting people for the Administration a lot easier too knowing that Obama will do everything in his power not to fight for you.
That was my first thought.
I can already hear Glenn Beck starting up another insane, incessant rant, complete with chalkboard diagram…
i dont know if its a spine he lacks. I thinks its political skill. I think most of these appointments were made to appease the base (oh that SO hasnt been working out). And he thought no one would notice as they were dropped one by one.
Have to agree with Shoto for the most part. We need to get a spine, Unite and start getting “our” agenda off the ground in Congress in a hurry. This endless kissin t-bag butt in the hope that they will accept progress has to end now. We need to get angry and get even at the opposition rallies as well…just like they do at ours. No more MR. Mrs. nice person to t-bag barbie and t-bag bill. The voters will hold us accountable “for what we did” and we cannot afford to mess things up like the pubs did when they controlled congress. Lets get this going…NOW !!! Unite and Fight !!
It wasn’t the “nominee” who surrendered to Jim DeMint, it was the good-for-nothing President.
Any day now, I expect him to throw Michelle and the kids under the bus and ask them to leave too.
We made a terrible mistake, electing Barack Obama. He is setting back the progressive agenda by decades.
And if the Wingnuts start whining about the opposition playing too rough, rub their noses in it, pay it no mind. It ain’t exactly like they’ve been acting all civilized (and in good faith) for the past….feels like eternity. A lot more attack dog, and lot less Harry Reid is indicated.
I was surprised that they re-nominated her. I suspect that represents a real desire to get her into that office. It’s hard to think of any alternative explanations, as much as the cynical side of my nature suspects that there has to be one.
you’re absolutely correct that obama surrendered, not southers. i got that re-reading my post after i was afk all day.
I agree with Michael Whitney that Southers is not at fault here. And Kafka: is “surrender monkeys” really worth repeating at all?
I’m not sure that Southers’ withdrawal has a lot of meaning for labor rights for TSA workers. One reason Southers had to withdraw was that he was caught lying to Congress as part of his confirmation proceedings. We will have to wait till the WH nominates a new appointee before we’ll know if Obama is retreating on labor rights for TSA workers
WHoa Whoa WHoa WHoa, Conservative opposition to Southers crystalized around:
1. His creepy use Government resources to pull up confidential information on his ex-wife’s boyfriend.
2. His subsequent direct perjury regarding the incident to the Senate, which he later corrected after the committee had voted.
Had the issues been strictly about Unionization of the TSA, Southern would eventually have passed through…however his tainted past and the way he handled it were the nails in his own coffin.
WHY can’t the Administration find amongst 300 million Americans, just one, who is not a freak, who doesn’t lie to Congress and who doesn’t abuse Government power to illegally invade private citizens confidential data??? It can’t be that hard.
How can you people continue to rally around these naer-do-wells? It’s truly laughable and somewhat frightening, have you learned nothing from Massachusetts…it wasn’t just Health Care, it wasn’t just Congressional Power grabs, it wasn’t just the deficit…it was also a series of absolutely bizarre appointments of people who simply have no business holding important positions in OUR government. You have to do better. Don’t attack the messenger….think about the message.
Well said. Thank you.