Obama's "Brownie"

You’re doing a good job, Brownie,” then President George W. Bush said to his FEMA director Mike Brown in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. Eight months into Bush’s second term, those remarks shaped Bush’s second term and the public’s perception of him as New Orleans remained a mess. The President seemed out of touch in the midst of a great national security issue. As stated before on this blog, Katrina created the image of George W. Bush that Bush carries now.

It seems President Obama might have his own “Brownie” in Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Like Brown in FEMA, Secretary Napolitano has a resume long on politics and short on emergency operations. Though Napolitano did serve as Arizona’s Governor and Attorney General, Secretary Napolitano is best known in liberal circles for her roles as an appointed US Attorney under Bill Clinton and as an attorney for Anita Hill in the Clarence Thomas hearings of 1991.

As Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano has not disappointed the politically active Left. First, she signed off on a report that said military veterans could become right wing extremists and thus threats to national security. Napolitano apologized for those remarks, but they still were made. Then she gave an interview to a German news agency in which she dubbed terrorism as “man made disasters.” Then there was her insult to Canada for having terrorists slip through their border in response to questions about the Mexican border. She answered all such matters as a political activist first.

It was Napolitano’s response to the attempted terrorist attack on an airliner in Detroit on Christmas Day that has led to bipartisan calls for her resignation. Napolitano stated the Sunday after Christmas that “the system worked.” Napolitano’s definition of the system working is odd at best. Apparently, in Napolitano’s view, a Islamic extremist whose own father warned authorities of his intention to attack the United States was allowed on a plane with explosives, but since a combination of the explosives failing and a couple of fellow passengers protecting themselves occurred, security is okay.

To be fair to Secretary Napolitano, she and the Obama White House have backed off her Sunday remarks. But, like her veteran remarks, they were made. It does bring back memories of Brownie shopping as Katrina approached. Sure, Mr. Brown regretted doing that after the fact, but the fact remains he did it. It is striking that the same people who correctly held Mr. Brown accountable for his actions seem oblivious to Secretary Napolitano.

Let VUI be clear. If the questionable activity of Secretary Napolitano were personal, such as an affair or a bad debt or whatever else strictly personal, we probably would chalk it up to being human. But, when the person charged with Homeland Security continues to make remarks about security and acts through a prism of pure partisan politics, it cannot be tolerated. A politician can be forgiven for personal failings, but cannot be forgiven for making boneheaded remarks about national security policy.

The President’s approval numbers are dipping to levels close to President Bush’s. Over the next few weeks, Napolitano will have to resign. Once Napolitano does resign, the Obama team will need to approach Homeland Security the way it approached Defense. Retaining Secretary Gates was lauded by sensible folks on both sides of the political aisle. Perhaps a retired General, such as Wesley Clark, an avowed Democrat, would be a good choice. A bipartisan choice would be Rudolph Guiliani, if he would take the job. There are others out there who would put political activism second to national security.

The bottom line is Janet Napolitano is shaping up to be Obama’s “Brownie.” Neither the President nor the American people can endure such again.