Janet Napolitano - Homeland Security Secretary

What was it that prompted Obama to hire Janet Napolitano as Homeland Security Secretary? It is difficult to understand that someone who is apparently so dense as to make the statements she has made, and the actions or non-actions she has so far taken since being appointed to the job, can retain this position. This is who Obama thought was the best person to head up the country's national security?

Janet Napolitano did not know that her Defense Department had the equipment which might be helpful in dealing with the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The deep water oil rig which exploded April 20 is gushing over 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the gulf each day. It may take weeks or months to seal the leak. In the meantime the coast of Louisiana will surely suffer. The residents, both the people and wildlife will be severely affected. Most importantly we cannot forget the 11 men who lost their lives when the oil rig exploded.

The Department of Homeland Security waited a week after the spill began to declare it "a spill of national significance." White house officials said that the scope of the tragedy was not initially obvious. So, I assume that is why it took both Napolitano and Obama so long to even do a fly over of the area. I suppose Obama had more pressing issues to handle, such as his golf game.

Why did it take so long for Obama to respond to this tragedy? Why are we not hearing from the main stream media who should be asking the hard questions of Obama and Napolitano. I can only imagine if this had occurred on the watch of George W. Bush, the media outcry would have been deafening.

It says on the White House website, "President Obama will keep the broken promises to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coat," (Obama will never stop blaming Bush).

Also "He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur."

Apparently these are the standards Obama wants to be judged by, so we will do so.

Anyone that has followed politics even since the election of Barack Obama, has heard the many ignorant statements Janet Napolitano has made when anything which affects her department needs to be dealt with. Sadly, I have even seen her name on Obamas list of possible Supreme Court Justice candidates.

Elections do have consequences and because of the outcome in 2008, our country will pay a huge price both monetarily but more importantly because of the plans which Obama has to remake the country into something he feels it should be. Hopefully we are able to stop some of the bleeding this coming November. We need to take back the House and some seats in the Senate. This may be our last chance.

Cartoon by Joep Bertrams