John Podhoretz’s post below ought to be in banner headlines. Granted that DHS is a money pit of bureaucratic sclerosis, you’d think even government officials would be wary of announcing that decisions on homeland security funding for major population centers are determined by whether you sent the application in by Internet or by fax. What clause of the Patriot Act is that in?
Great moments in anti-terrorism:
2001: Todd Beamer: “Let’s roll!”
2006: Department of Homeland Security: “Let’s not get a new roll of fax paper!”
Presumably, if a dissident Iranian nuclear scientist shows up at DHS reception with news of next week’s incoming, he’ll be told they only accept tip-offs left at their 1-800 hotline. This should be a lesson to Republicans in what happens when you give in to pressure for dopey bipartisan gesture politics. But it won’t be.