This is from the Lou Dobbs program on January 5, 2006:


Thank you, Dana. With Congress out of session, President Bush has appointed Julie Meyers to head up the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Meyers is a well-connected member of the Washington ruling elite, with close family ties to the Bush administration, but she has virtually no experience in dealing with our nation's border emergency. Her dead- of-night appointment shows once again that political connections can put almost anyone on the inside track to an inside job in Washington.

Lisa Sylvester reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Julie Meyers is a 36-year-old attorney who has held a number of key government positions, but critics say she does not have the experience to head up the nation's second largest law enforcement agency. At her most significant job at the Commerce Department, she had 170 employees under her. At Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she will head 20,000 employees.

Her budget at Commerce, $25 million. At ICE, $4 billion.

BOB WILLIAMS, CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY: This wouldn't happen in the private sector because people will be far too concerned about it. It's, you know, only in government this sort of thing can happen.

SYLVESTER: Democrats have questioned her credentials.

SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG (D), NEW JERSEY: Her answers didn't give us any confidence that she had either the experience or knowledge to take on this kind of an assignment.

SYLVESTER: And so have conservatives. The "National Review" ran an editorial saying the appointment "smacks of cronyism."

Julie Meyers is the niece of Richard Meyers, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She is married to John Wood. Wood is Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff's chief of staff. She will report to Chertoff, who is her former boss.

The Department of Homeland Security defends Meyers, pointing to her resume handling money laundering and other financial case. The agency says her experience will help crack down on crime syndicates bringing in illegal aliens.

"When you understand the ICE mission, she is an extraordinarily well-suited candidate for this position."

But agents on the ground are not convinced.

TJ BONNER, NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL: I have never seen morale any lower than it is now. And this certainly can't help, having someone come in who has less experience with immigration than a first-year trainee.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SYLVESTER: DHS says that marital or family connections have no bearing on Meyers' appointment, but perception goes a long way. We all remember another well-connected political appointee, FEMA's Michael Brown. After his credentials were tested, he is now out of the government -- Lou.

DOBBS: I'm sorry, Lisa, who was it who said her connections have nothing to do with her appointment?

SYLVESTER: It was actually Ross Knocke (ph). He's one of the spokesmen at DHS.

DOBBS: Yes.

SYLVESTER: And what he was -- the point that he's trying to make is that she has this experience fighting financial crimes, and he says that will translate over well to her new job.

DOBBS: Someone should perhaps put the gentleman on a lie detector, because if he did that with a straight face, it's remarkable. Cronyism is straightforwardly cronyism.