The Pendragon's Hall

There really is something I wish George Bush would get off his duff and do, and that's fire the Jap who's been running the transportation department for the last four years. He put him in in 2001, figuring even a Democrat couldn't mess up running transportation (it was a real blow for the Democratic Party who had fondly thought that perhaps they would merit a higher position, like, I don't know, maybe state or defense). Bush had good intentions but unfortunately the tragedy of 9/11 not only propelled us into two wars but actually made the department of transportation a rather key player in the government. Under Norman Mineta, we strip-searched little old ladies on their way to Idaho, but couldn't search more than two Arab-looking men per flight. Never mind the fact that every plane-hijacking for the last twenty years has been committed by Muslim extremists, most, if not all, of whom have been of Arab descent. Heck, Mineta wouldn't even let airport security screen passengers more on the basis of their name--such as Mohommed. His concern for civil liberties is all fine and good, especially in the new age of pointless litigation, but insofar as his job is keeping transportation safe, you'd think he'd actually put partisan politics behind him. But no, instead, as usual, we get maximum discomfort with minimum protection. It's a typical Democrat strategy--Clinton used it in Kosovo: Risk American lives and use up American weapons without making the US any safer or any better off. Mineta was not in a position to do that but he did what he could for the cause. He made airport security the laughingstock of the world. And why? He said why, he said he couldn't "discriminate" between potential terrorists and innocent bystanders...(drumroll please) because sixty years ago another Democratic politician didn't. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, because FDR rounded up Japanese-Americans without discriminating between enemies and friends, Norm Mineta thinks he should follow his example and leave the real enemies alone while torturing those not likely to cause any trouble. I'm all for tighter security and I'll do anything they want me to do to prove I'm not a terrorist as I'm boarding a plane, but it seems to me ridiculous that as long as two Syrian cab drivers have already boarded a flight and been searched, Osama Bin Laden himself could get on the plane and could not be searched. In the midst of their writhing over the resignation of Colin Powell liberals ignore that one of the few members of the first administration to remain is this miserable failure. This is ridiculous, Mr. President, and enough is enough: Fire Norm Mineta.