Bush's popularity increases after terror threats announced

[True_Blue]

Last week President Bush tapped federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff to succeed Tom Ridge as secretary of the Homeland Security Department. Though Chertoff likely has a smooth confirmation ahead, his first and most significant task as homeland security chief will be daunting: restore credibility to the embattled department.

Chertoff can begin to mend the public face of the department by abandoning the color-coded alert system and vague public pronouncements of terror threats typical of Ridge's tenure. Throughout Bush's first term it was unclear what purpose was served by these regular broadcasts of important intelligence. The vagueness of most warnings offered little more than fear. By spending less time at press conferences, Chertoff can also assure Americans he is working hard at the mostly invisible job of actually fighting terrorism, with little interest in scaring the public.

In its short tenure, the homeland security department has been indicted at home and abroad for manipulating terror warnings in an effort to buttress Bush's popularity. Despite Ridge's claims, it remains an open question to the public and the international community whether the department "plays politics" in its daily business.

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/208240_homelandsecurity.html