Erroll Southers Withdraws: TSA Nominee Drops Out Amid 'Political Agenda'

[StarfarerBill]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name Wednesday, a blow to an administration trying to explain how a man could attempt to blow up a commercial airliner on Christmas Day.

In a statement, Erroll Southers said he was pulling out because his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda. Obama had 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 that Southers would allow TSA employees to have collective bargaining rights.

Questions have also been raised about a reprimand that Southers received for running background checks on his then-estranged wife's boyfriend two decades ago. Southers wrote a letter to lawmakers earlier this month acknowledging that he had given inconsistent answers to Congress on that issue.

In an October affidavit for the Senate Homeland Security committee, Southers initially said he asked a San Diego police employee to run a background check on his then-estranged wife's boyfriend and was censured by his FBI superiors 20 years ago for what he said was an isolated instance.

But a day after the committee approved his nomination and sent it to the full Senate, he wrote to the senators and told them that he was incorrect, that he had twice run background checks himself.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/20/erroll-southers-withdraws_n_429423.html

[leftynyc]

1. This pisses me off

One freeking senator from the minority party has blocked this nominee and the White House doesn't make a peep. I'm beginning to wonder just what this president will fight for - cuz it's sure not his own nominees.

[yourout]

2. Only the rich tax cheats.....the administration fought for them.

[abelenkpe]

3. This had nothing to do with background checks

And everything to do with republicans hatred of unions.

[tsstranger]

4. Union Haters

<<<Sen. Jim DeMint, who says he was worried that Southers would allow TSA employees to have collective bargaining rights.>>>>>>>


More evidence that the union hating Repug-O-Scum want to keep working people from having any rights.

Any working person who votes Republican is willingly cutting his/her own throats.

[msongs]

5. lots of republicans available for the job. bring more bush retreads into the administration lol nt

[cbgb2112]

6. Only if he had a dead hooker in his car...

He would have been perfect for the Rethugs. Man, the bullies are taking our lunch money again. America won't survive another reign of terror from them.

[derby378]

7. Can we start dismantling the TSA now?

It only exists to intimidate the American public, not to make air travel safer. Scrap it.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

10. Abolish, Investigate and Prosecute

The TSA needs to be abolished and a through criminal investigation needs to be conducted into every single employee of the TSA past and present both for theft and civil rights violations.

Those cleared of wrong-doing can identify themselves as former employees of the department of transportation, those implicated should be prosecuted accordingly.

[JDPriestly]

8. Obama chickened out. I wonder how many voters that lost him.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Do you think that voters really want a guy who broke the law snooping on his wife's ex-boyfriend for

this position?

[24601]

9. And his withdrawal had absolutely nothing to do with losing a

filibuster-proof Senate. Still, had he been candid regarding the details of the improper database search, he would not have shot himself in the foot regardless of his position on unions. Had he not BEEN FBI and given that answer TO the FBI, he would have been facing charges for lying to the FBI.

[Psephos]

11. Sorry, law enforcement database snooping is a permanent disqualification for a security chief.

Out of more than 300 million people in the US, there has to be someone more qualified than a guy who broke public trust (and the law) to look for dirt in law enforcement databases...and then lied about it when being interviewed.

Kind of like putting a tax delinquent in charge of the Treasury.

Next.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

12. In a way it is a unique qualification for the position,

A complete disregard for privacy and professionalism is probably a plus in such an agency,

[Psephos]

13. you have a point there ;)

[mamaleah]

14. Spying on your ex-wife......classy

Sorry, it cannot be that hard to find someone qualified who has not done something odious.