Let me guess. We need him to help combat "Homegrown [nee white males engaging in free speech] Terrorism":


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federa ... rs_wi.html

TSA nominee Erroll Southers withdraws

President Obama's nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew from consideration on Wednesday, saying his nomination was "obstructed by political ideology."

Erroll Southers had faced fierce opposition from Republicans ever since news surfaced that he may have misled Congress about an incident in the late 1980s involving a background check of the boyfriend of his ex-wife.

As The Eye first reported in November, Southers told senators that he asked a co-worker's husband who worked for the San Diego Police Department at the time to run a background check on his ex-wife's boyfriend.

The incident did little to stop his confirmation by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. But a day after the panel referred his nomination to the Senate, Southers told lawmakers that he himself had twice conducted the database searches, downloaded confidential law enforcement records and then passed the information on to the police department employee.

"I was extremely excited about the opportunity to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and fulfill Secretary [Janet] Napolitano's objective to develop it into the best organization of its kind in the world," Southers said in a statement released by the White House on Wednesday. "However, it is apparent that this path has been obstructed by political ideology. I have decided, after deep reflection and in consultation with my family and friends to respectfully withdraw my name from consideration for confirmation as the assistant secretary for the TSA."

"It is clear that my nomination has become a lightning rod for those who have chosen to push a political agenda at the risk of the safety and security of the American people," Southers said. "This partisan climate is unacceptable and I refuse to allow myself to remain part of their dialogue. The TSA has important work to be done and I regret I will not be part of their success."

"The President believes that Erroll Southers would have been an excellent TSA administrator but understands his personal decision and the choice he has made," said White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro.

[We were also told that Obama would make an excellent President...]

"Southers was uniquely qualified for this job and it is with great sadness that the president accepted Southers' withdrawal. Fortunately the acting TSA Administrator is very able and we have a solid team of professionals at TSA doing vital national security work to keep us safe," Shapiro said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had planned to hold an up or down vote on Southers next week. But Republican opposition continued and requests for more information from the White House went unanswered, said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

"The Senate could have had an open and transparent debate this week to approve Mr. Southers, but apparently, answering simple, direct questions about security and integrity were too much for this nominee," DeMint said in a statement. "I hope the president will quickly put forward a new nominee that is fully vetted and that will put the safety of the American people first."

DeMint, who led GOP opposition to Southers, initially opposed him out of fear that TSA would eventually approve collective bargaining rights for airport security officers. TSA employees can join a union, but cannot collectively bargain. DeMint and other Republicans argued that union interference would jeopardize airport security.

Through a spokeswoman, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) expressed disappointment with Southers's decision. "The senator thought the combination of his law enforcement and aviation security skills uniquely qualified him to lead the TSA," a spokeswoman said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the panel's ranking Republican and the only lawmaker to ever publicly question Southers about the incident, said, "It is critically important that the White House act quickly to nominate someone with qualifications and reputation which are beyond reproach to lead this agency."

Shapiro could not say when Obama might name a new TSA nominee or whether the White House will just nominate Acting Administrator Gale Rossides to the job full-time.

Southers also testified before the Senate Commerce Committee, but the FBI censure issue never came up and it's unclear if Southers ever told the committee about the incident.

"Today our national security system lost a skilled law enforcement officer with needed expertise and leadership qualities because of political games – and that is a real shame," Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) said. "I urge my colleagues to more carefully focus on America’s security not partisanship."

Southers's withdrawal comes on an already bad day for the White House, as it attempts to salvage health-care reform efforts following Tuesday's Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate race. The Obama administration has also struggled in recent months to earn Senate confirmation for several top nominees.