by TChris

After Michael Brown proved that Arabian horse management isn't a helpful background for disaster management, some senators are asking whether other White House appointees to management positions are qualified to do their jobs. Susan Collins and Joe Lieberman wonder whether Julie Myers is fit to be assistant secretary of homeland security for immigration and customs enforcement, and Carl Levin questions whether technology lawyer Stewart Baker has the necessary experience to be assistant secretary of homeland security for policy.

At the same time, the Center for American Progress, a research institute for out-of-office Democratic policy experts, has questioned whether Andrew B. Maner is qualified for his position as chief financial officer of the Homeland Security Department, which has a budget of about $35 billion and more than 180,000 employees. Mr. Maner's main government experience before joining this administration was a job in the White House press office under the first President Bush.