Dubai Ports Request 45 Day Investigation

My hesitation about entrusting the security of our most important ports to the government of UAE is eased somewhat by knowing that Julie Myers is in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Over Christmas recess, W gave her a recess appointment because even the Republican sycophants in the Senate were hesitant to give responsibility for keeping undesirable people and undesirable goods out of our country to a woman with zero experience in law enforcement, negligible experience in running even a moderate size bureaucracy, unable to keep a political job in DC for more than a year or so (4 jobs in 5 years!), and whose only apparent qualifications were that her uncle was Chief of Staff of the Air Force, she used to work for Ken Starr, she was Michael Chertoff's chief of staff several jobs ago, and she was sleeping with Chertoff's current chief of staff. (See extract from Washington Post article below.)

After seeing what a disaster "Good job" Brownie had done at FEMA with Katrina, W apparently decided to pick someone who would be almost equally incompetent and unqualified for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sep 20, 2005
Concerns over Myers, 36, were acute enough at a Senate hearing last week that lawmakers asked the nominee to detail during her testimony her postings and to account for her management experience. Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) went so far as to tell Myers that her resume indicates she is not qualified for the job.

After working as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, N.Y., for two years, Myers held a variety of jobs over the past four years at the White House and at the departments of Commerce, Justice and Treasury, though none involved managing a large bureaucracy. Myers worked briefly as chief of staff to Michael Chertoff when he led the Justice Department's criminal division before he became Homeland Security secretary.

Myers was on her honeymoon and was not available to comment yesterday. Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman, cited Myers's work with customs agents on money-laundering and drug-smuggling cases. "She's well-known and respected throughout the law enforcement community," Healy said. "She has a proven track record as an effective manager."