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Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 08:33:52 AM EST
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Nevada Senator and Minority Leader Harry Reid is calling for the resignation of HSA Chief Michael Chertoff.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid called for the resignation of Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff on Wednesday, one day after the government dropped Las Vegas from a list of cities considered potential high-risk targets eligible for special anti-terrorism grants.

Reid, D-Nev., joins Clark County Sheriff Bill Young in calling for Chertoff to step down as a result of the decision jeopardizing millions in additional federal funding that Nevada currently receives as a result of being considered a potential terrorist target.

Here's Chertoff's explanation:

Chertoff defended the scaled-back approach as one that focuses federal grants on those areas most needing to make preparations, with the 35 locations decided by 3.2 billion calculations aimed at determining regions most susceptible to terrorism.

The ever-blunt Sen. Reid had one more complaint: "He did a lousy job on Katrina."

It's hard to quibble with that one. And yes, I agree with Reid that Nevada fund should not have been cut.

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    Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign | 23 comments (23 topical)
    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#1)
    by swingvote on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 08:53:37 AM EST
    So Harry wants Chertoff to step down because he, Reid, disagrees with a policy decision made by HSA. Okay. I disagree with several of Harry's positions. He should step down at once. I expect both statements to have equal effect. And with regard to the decision made: If n ot Las Vegas, where? What city does Reid suggest should have had its funding cut?

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#2)
    by roxtar on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:08:48 AM EST
    Norman, Oklahoma, for starters.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#3)
    by roxtar on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:15:42 AM EST
    Here's a map showing that Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Milwaukee all qualify, while Las Vegas will be dropped from the list. Are you at all familiar with Las Vegas? Massive tourism, which means large numbers of planes coming and going from all over the world? As compared to Milwaukee, or Cincinnati, or Columbus. Jesus, can you imagine how quickly a biological agent could spread if dispersed in LV? OK, I get it. You don't like Sen. Reid. But to suggest that LV shouldn't be on any list of potential terror targets is simply preposterous.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#4)
    by roxtar on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:16:59 AM EST
    Oops. Forgot to link to the map: Christian Science Monitor

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#5)
    by Patrick on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:23:31 AM EST
    Are you at all familiar with Las Vegas? Massive tourism, which means large numbers of planes coming and going from all over the world? As compared to Milwaukee, or Cincinnati, or Columbus.
    A debatable argument for why their funding should be cut. Their tourism dollars help offset costs whereas those other cities don't get as much from their tourism.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#6)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:27:45 AM EST
    Well they already hit our centers of war and economics. Our center of western decadence should be safe, eh? Of course, when predicting terrorist targets, it's best to evaluate which targets would benefit the Bushies and the war makers. Schools, malls, public transprotation sites. Those would inflame the correct passions for Monkey Boy to capitalize on.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#7)
    by swingvote on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:33:25 AM EST
    Roxtar, You're certainly right about the possibility of spreading a biological agent from Las Vegas, but the same applies to any large city which hosts a convention of any kind, which I would be willing to bet Milwaukee, Columbus, and Cincinnati all do. There's a good chance even Norman Oklahoma does that. And the fact that Las Vegas makes so much money on tourism is indeed an argument for why it can afford to fund this stuff itself. They do have a vested interest in making would-be tourists feel safe, after all. But the point is simply that the HSA has been authorized to make these decisions, and they've made them. Reid can complain about them all he wants, but calling for someone to resign because Reid doesn't like their policy decisions makes about as much sense as me expecting Reid to resign because I don't like his stance on judicial nominations. It ain't about to happen. Harry's just trying to set up the topic for the Sunday morning talkshows again.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#8)
    by Punchy on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:37:39 AM EST
    Indy's on the map, but Vegas is not? Hoo-ley sh... Anyone realize how many hotels could be taken out? How close the planes fly to the hotels (McCarren is across the street from Mandalay). How many tourists visit? How insanely packed it is all the time, with lots and lots of suspicious, seedy people? That, if anything, Vegas more than any other city represents the decadence that Fundy Muslims would LOVE to destroy? Yes, Reid is somewhat a homer b/c he's repping that state, but just common sense says Vegas would be a top 3 target. Hell, they could hit both Vegas and Hoover Dam in one day and mess up 3 (4?) states all at once...

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#9)
    by Sailor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:39:08 AM EST
    The $$ was cut because Nevada has two dem senators. bushco doesn't care about 'homeland security', just about their freinds at the trough and political payback.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:49:01 AM EST
    JP: calling for someone to resign because Reid doesn't like their policy decisions makes about as much sense as me expecting Reid to resign... Only if you think that calling for a resignation is the same as expecting a resignation. JP: It ain't about to happen. We agree! JP: Harry's just trying to set up the topic for the Sunday morning talkshows again. We agree again! If he thinks that it will serve his party's interests for him to set up the topic for Sunday morning then that's what he must do. As leader of the minority party, that's at least part of his job.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#11)
    by swingvote on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:58:00 AM EST
    As leader of the minority party, that's at least part of his job. Perhaps, but I'd rather he spent his time pushing to get the budget passed on time. Frist certainly can't be trusted to do so.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#12)
    by Slado on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 09:59:28 AM EST
    True punisher but overplaying your hand also makes you look unserious and can cause you credibility problems. Like if somebody did really do something that called for a resignation his political opponents can just say..."Their goes Harry again, calling for resignation". There's a time to go for the throat and then there are times to just complain.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 10:04:02 AM EST
    Slado: True punisher but overplaying your hand also makes you look unserious and can cause you credibility problems. Could be. His call. If he's wrong, he'll be Daschle.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#14)
    by joejoejoe on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 10:44:39 AM EST
    I think all Democrats should adopt this format when discussing Michael Chertoff:
    Generic Chertoff reference. Blah blah blah. And, "He did a lousy job on Katrina."
    Rinse. Repeat. Impeach.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 10:45:40 AM EST
    Well they already hit our centers of war and economics. Our center of western decadence should be safe, eh?
    Actually Che, I think it LV is relatively safe. The Mid-East royal tyrants love of high stakes gambling is well known. I doubt they'd fund an attack on one of their playgrounds.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 10:52:21 AM EST
    JJJ: ...all Democrats should adopt this format when discussing Michael Chertoff... "And, "He did a lousy job on Katrina." Not a bad idea. Maybe an occasional "and remember that Kerik guy Bush wanted?" and back to generic Chertoff blah blah blah.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 11:44:29 AM EST
    I believe Las Vegas has to worry terrorism from Pat "God Smote him down, and them down, and them down too" Robertson and his crazy followers AS well as from Bin Laden and his crazy followers. Not to mention Earnst Stavros Bennett trying to blow up the place in order to erase his debts.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 12:36:58 PM EST
    Charlie: Could be. His call. If he's wrong, he'll be Daschle. Why, is rovesputin gonna run a voter fraud op on him, too? I wouldn't be the guy to try to predict Rovian tactics. I have had the sense, though, that he's seen conciliatory, moderate Dems as weak and good targets for a take-down. That seems to argue for an aggressive stance on Reid's part, and this call for Chertoff's resignation could fit in to such a strategy.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#19)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 02:34:41 PM EST
    The Mid-East royal tyrants love of high stakes gambling is well known.
    And bin Laden and his like hate those guys.

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#20)
    by kdog on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 03:06:54 PM EST
    Poorly attempted tongue in cheek comment, good catch Quaker. But for all we know, bin ladin and his whackjob cronies could be playing craps in a cave right now wishing they were in Vegas. Looks can be deceiving...did someone mention Bill Bennett? And thanks to whales like him, there is no shortage of cash for security in Las Vegas. And who doesn't like comps?

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 07:42:00 PM EST
    Islamofascism isn't the only religious threat to Vegas. Per Josh Micah, James Dobson's had it with games of chance:
    "...We need courageous office holders who will begin the process of shutting down lotteries, casinos and other gambling outlets."
    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 09:57:41 AM EST
    Quaker, I was about to say the same thing! So which do you think has the bigger chance of getting hit because it falls into the "symbol of western decadence" category - LV of LA? I think LA, since it creates a lot more hostility from muslim fundies for exporting the "western decadence."

    Re: Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign (none / 0) (#23)
    by Johnny on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 11:28:24 AM EST
    Daschle did what he was supposed to do. I know it tears you poor wrong-wingers up that he didn't toe the nationalist line after 9/11, but too bad. He put up with an incessant attack on his character from the idiot-wingers, and lost the election in SD by a few hundred votes. Why? Because John Thune (who has turned out to be a mouthpiece for the bush regime) was losing the election, until he went off on his tyrade against gays. Scared the hell out of the rednecks. I personally think every republican should step down. Obstructionists, every one of them. Flip-Floppers, every one fo them. The only way to get this country back on track is to derail the current regime, and Sen. Reid (who rumor has it will be investigated soon) is correct in calling for this losers resignation.

    Sen. Harry Reid: Chertoff Should Resign | 23 comments (23 topical)