Inexperienced Crony is Head of US Immigration Service
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901930.htmlEveryone is finally paying attention to immigration issues. Guess who Bush appointed to be in charge of immigration issues and enforcement? Julie, you'll do a heck of a job.
Late last year, Bush appointed Julie Myers to be Assistant Security for Homeland Security in charge of Immigration and Customs. One slight problem, she had no experience in immigration. Her main qualifications are that she is the niece of a top general, she's the new wife of Chertoff's top aide, she worked in the Bush White House, and she was involved in Ken Starr's incredible expensive semen investigation. As a commentator recently said, whenever Bush looks for someone to appoint to a top office, he just looks down the hall of the White House.
The Senate balked at approving the appointment, so Bush made "recess" appointment for her without going through the Senate. She is a 36 year old with limited management experience - in charge of an agency with 20,000 employees.
Here's excerpts from the Washington Post article linked above:
"Concerns over Myers, 36, were acute enough at a Senate hearing last week that lawmakers asked the nominee to detail during her testimony her postings and to account for her management experience. Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) went so far as to tell Myers that her résumé indicates she is not qualified for the job...
After working as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, N.Y., for two years, Myers held a variety of jobs over the past four years at the White House and at the departments of Commerce, Justice and Treasury, though none involved managing a large bureaucracy. Myers worked briefly as chief of staff to Michael Chertoff when he led the Justice Department's criminal division before he became Homeland Security secretary.
Myers also was an associate under independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr for about 16 months and has most recently served as a special assistant to President Bush handling personnel issues.
Her uncle is Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the departing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She married Chertoff's current chief of staff, John F. Wood, on Saturday. ... ICE has more than 20,000 employees and a budget of approximately $4 billion. Its personnel investigate immigrant, drug and weapon smuggling, and illegal exports, among other responsibilities."