Ridge and Rice Politicize Security

[TimeToGo]

Interesting, my friends:



http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df10212004.html

Ridge and Rice Politicize Security

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge told reporters, "we don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security."1 But a new analysis by the Associated Press reveals that the travel schedule of Ridge and other top DHS officials are influenced by political considerations.

According to the report, in the past seven months nearly three-fifths of Ridge's travel has been to "the 17 states considered the most hotly contested in the presidential election."2 In the same time period, 22 senior officials "did nearly half their public events in those 17 states."3 Sue Mencer, who heads the Office of Domestic Preparedness for DHS, recently traveled to Ohio - a key battleground state - "to deliver a grant that had been awarded weeks earlier."4

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice has also "traveled across the country making speeches in key battleground states, including Oregon, Washington, North Carolina and Ohio."5 In the next few days "she also plans speeches in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida."6 White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan denied the appearances were politically motivated.7

Sources:

1. "Remarks by Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge," Department of Homeland Security, 8/03/04.
2. "Homeland Security officials heading to the political battleground states," Associated Press, 10/20/04.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. "Rice Hitting the Road to Speak," Washington Post, 10/20/04.
6. Ibid.
7. "Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan," The White House, 10/20/04.

[apnu]

1. ... and yet not surprising

I wonder what that means?
(sarcasm off)

[opihimoimoi]

2. Over the top... rice and ridge have gone over the top.

we pay those dudes to work, not go around campaigning.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. WTF

Shouldn't those two fuckwads be working on, oh, I don't know, NATIONAL SECURITY instead of this crap?!?! :grr: