Republicans stall TSA Appointment

Erroll Southers

The nomination of a former FBI agent to lead the Transportation Security Administration hit a new obstacle Wednesday as several Republican senators expressed "serious reservations" about the nominee and pressed the White House for details of incidents in which he improperly accessed a confidential federal database years ago.

Southers's nomination had been held up by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) because of concerns he would support the unionization of TSA workers. On Wednesday, DeMint and six other Republican senators -- including John McCain (Ariz.), Charles E. Grassley (Iowa) and Tom Coburn (Okla.) -- demanded that the White House provide information about why Southers initially gave Congress an incorrect account about the searches two decades ago, incidents that led to his censure by the FBI.

The letter and Coburn's hold follow a report in The Washington Post last week that detailed how Southers provided differing accounts to the Senate about incidents in 1987 and 1988 in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, in a search for records about his estranged wife's boyfriend.

In an Oct. 22 affidavit provided to the Senate homeland security committee, Southers said he asked a San Diego police officer to access the records. In November, after the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), received a briefing about the censure letter and noticed discrepancies in Southers's account, she asked him to explain the episode.

In a Nov. 20 letter, a day after the committee endorsed his nomination, Southers acknowledged that his first account was incorrect. He said that after reviewing documents, he realized he had twice personally conducted the database searches.
In a separate statement, DeMint said the "Senate shouldn't rubber stamp someone who hasn't been properly vetted and who has stonewalled and misled Congress."
Collins and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the homeland security committee, remain behind Southers, who they have said has had a sterling career that has prepared him to lead the TSA. A White House spokesman said the White House remains solidly behind Southers as a well-qualified candidate who simply had a lapse in memory.

"Neither in testimony nor in writing has Southers ever tried to hide or mischaracterize this incident, and he has expressed that these were errors he made in judgment that he deeply regretted, and an error that he made in an account of events that happened over 20 years ago," said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro.

Southers, currently a high level official with the Los Angeles Airport Police, is in charge of homeland security and intelligence for the department. Southers is known as a well respected manager and is credited with bringing a sharper focus to the Los Angeles Airport Police’s security and counter-terrorism efforts.

At least the Republicans are consistent to the party line...”just say NO”. After all, why expedite filling this important position when there’s political hay to be made. More importantly, let’s not appoint a union supporter any way. Heaven forbid!


Source: The Washington Post
Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 7, 2010