Obama's nominee to lead TSA withdraws

[babylonsister]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34952712/ns/politics-more_politics/

Obama's nominee to lead TSA withdraws
He admits giving inconsistent answers to Congress over old reprimand


WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name Wednesday.

In a statement, Erroll Southers said he was pulling out because his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda.

Obama tapped Southers, a former FBI agent, to lead the TSA in September but his confirmation has been blocked by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who says he was worried Southers would allow TSA employees to engage in collective bargaining with the government.

Questions have also been raised about a reprimand that Southers received for running background checks on his then-estranged wife's boyfriend two decades ago.

Southers wrote a letter to lawmakers earlier this month acknowledging that he had given inconsistent answers to Congress on that issue.

The White House said Wednesday that the president had accepted Southers' withdrawal with great sadness and continued to believe he would have made an excellent TSA administrator.

The withdrawal of Southers' nomination was another setback for the TSA at a time when the government is still trying to answer questions from Congress about how a man was able to carry out a bombing attempt on Christmas Day on a Northwest Airlines flight found from Amsterdam to Detroit.

[Ian David]

1. Too much baggage? n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Comment Win

[ShortnFiery]

2. Gee, didn't BushCo FIGHT for their nominees to fill these key positions?

Why is THIS administration so conciliatory to the the GOP and/or conflict avoiding when it means disagreeing with anyone who happens to be a Republican? :shrug:

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. His nomination crashed and burned.

[ShortnFiery]

5. But did it have to? Why couldn't someone from the Executive Branch pushed the point?

We have had people will all sorts of "pasts" fill positions within republican Administrations.

Why do Democratic Administrations "fold like a cheap suit" every time one of their nominees get's held up ... FIGHT FOR THEM! Go public loud and often? :shrug:

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. One can only wonder why..................

It's sad.

[hileeopnyn8d]

8. IOKIYAR n/t

[bullwinkle428]

6. Well, gee...this day keeps getting better and better!

:sarcasm:

[Historic NY]

9. Amazing a year in and this critical position isn't filled...WTF...

what does it take to find people w/o taint? Who is vetting these people that the little crap comes up.

[babylonsister]

10. DeMint has been obstructing on this nominee; guess it worked. They

wore the guy down.

[ShortnFiery]

11. Only because there was no TEAM to support him. eom

[Doctor_J]

12. Another win for the Nazis

that's like 1211 in a row

[Cha]

13. So, there's bumps in the road and I

admire him for what he's done and now we can get someone else so this can go forward.

[timeforpeace]

14. Too bad, makes DeMint look like he knew what he was doing.