Napolitano likely Obama pick as Homeland Security secretary

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is President-elect Obama's likely pick to head the Department of Homeland Security.

By Mimi Hall, David Jackson and Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a former state attorney general with experience on immigration and border security issues, has been told she is President-elect Barack Obama's top choice to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Two Democratic officials with direct knowledge of Obama's transition decisions said Thursday the border-state governor would get the job if there are no problems with background checks and vetting. They asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about Obama's appointments.

If Napolitano is nominated and confirmed by the Senate, she will inherit a vast and sometimes unwieldy department created after the 9/11 attacks that's responsible for everything from aviation and maritime security to disaster response and protecting the president. Its agencies include the Coast Guard, Secret Service, Border Patrol, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"The fact that she is a governor from a border state is extremely important," says Randall Larsen, a terrorism and homeland security expert and former National War College professor.

The confirmation of Napolitano as the top Homeland choice was the latest news in a fast-moving transition. Obama has not officially made any Cabinet nominations, but he has appointed a host of senior White House staffers, including his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

"This is the best transition I've seen in 40 years," says the American Enterprise Institute's Norman Ornstein, who has informally advised both President Bush's team and the Obama camp about the transition. "It's moving in the most disciplined and expeditious fashion that I can remember."

Napolitano, 50, a Democrat who was elected governor in 2002, would be the third person to lead the 180,000-employee department after former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge and current Secretary Michael Chertoff, a former federal judge.

She would face a host of nettlesome issues, including how to proceed with costly efforts to secure the Southern border by building both a technology-based "virtual" fence and a physical barrier. She also would have to address concerns in Congress about the government's ability to protect the country from weapons of mass destruction, about whether FEMA should remain in the department and about morale problems among staffers.

"I wouldn't wish that post upon my worst enemy," says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents border agents. "It's such a daunting challenge."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., praised the selection and said Napolitano's experience as governor, state attorney general and U.S. attorney "warrants her rapid confirmation" in the Senate.

Napolitano, a breast cancer survivor who has made education a top issue as governor, was an early Obama supporter during the Democratic primary season.

In other transition-related news Thursday, Penny Pritzker, Obama's national finance chairwoman, issued a statement saying she would not be joining the Cabinet following news reports that she would be tapped as Commerce secretary.

"I think I can best serve our nation in my current capacity: building businesses, creating jobs and working to strengthen our economy," said Pritzker, 49, chairwoman of Classic Residence by Hyatt and the credit-reporting agency TransUnion.

Ornstein said he is a "little surprised" that Obama hasn't moved more swiftly to install his top economic team as a "confidence booster" amid the unfolding global economic crisis.He said because those appointments will be so "critical" to Obama's success that the Democrat likely is taking extra care "to think through their sequence."

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