Napolitano Eyed For Homeland Security Role

Arizona Governor, An Early Obama Supporter, Is Likely Choice For Cabinet Post

(CBS/AP)  Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is "under consideration" by President-elect Barack Obama's administration for the relatively new role of Secretary of Homeland Security, CBS News has learned.

Napolitano was an early Barack Obama supporter from the southwestern part of the country.

Democratic officials also told the Associated Press on Thursday that she is the likely choice for the job. These officials caution that no final decision has been made on the position, which involves directing the massive department created by the Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

The officials agreed to discuss the situation only on grounds of anonymity because of the private nature of the screening process for Mr. Obama's Cabinet. Napolitano, who once was Arizona's attorney general, was among the first of the Democratic governors to commit to him.

Several news organizations reported Thursday that Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker, who was Obama's national campaign finance chairman, was his leading choice to become secretary of commerce. However, Pritzker issued a statement Thursday saying she is not a contender for the post.

Officials say Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the former chair of White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton, is in the running for the Commerce job.

Among the names being bandied about as the Obama transition team sets up the new government are several people with long careers as Washington insiders, notwithstanding Mr. Obama's clarion call in his campaign for change in the nation's capital.

Mr. Obama, for example, is enlisting former Senate leader Tom Daschle as his health secretary. Hillary Rodham Clinton seems more likely than ever to be his secretary of state. Clinton is deciding whether to take that post as America's top diplomat, her associates said Wednesday.

And Mr. Obama is ready to announce that his attorney general will be Eric Holder, the Justice Department's No. 2 when Clinton's husband was president. Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama's chief of staff, is another veteran of the Clinton White House.

As a border governor, Napolitano has fought to curb illegal immigration, but has been skeptical that building a fence along the border will solve the problem. She once said, "You build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder."

Last year, her state passed a law that requires all Arizona businesses to use the federal online database, E-Verify, to confirm that new hires have valid Social Security numbers and are eligible for employment. This has been one of the cornerstones of the Bush administration's immigration policy.

As governor she has also overseen wildfires and severe flooding and had to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is currently part of the Homeland Security Department.

After the news broke, Sen. John McCain, Mr. Obama's Republican opponent in the election, praised the selection of his fellow Arizonan.

"Governor Napolitano's experience as the former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Arizona's attorney general, and as governor warrants her rapid confirmation by the Senate and I hope she is quickly confirmed," he said in a statement.

Daschle's selection to head the Health and Human Services Department - confirmed Wednesday but not yet announced - isn't at the same level of Cabinet prestige as the top spots at the State and Justice departments. But the health post could be more important in an Obama administration than in some others, making Daschle a key player in helping steer the president-elect's promised health care reforms.

Daschle could push Mr. Obama for quick action on health care reform next year, if he follows his own advice.

Daschle said efforts during the Clinton administration, led by Mrs. Clinton, took too long and went into too much detail, giving every interest group an opportunity to find something they didn't like about the plan.

"The next president should act immediately to capitalize on the goodwill that greets any incoming administration. If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it," Daschle wrote in a book he released this year, "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis." "This issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol."

The former South Dakota senator's return to the government will be a vindication of sorts. He was the Senate Democratic leader when he was defeated in 2004 by Republican John Thune, who convinced voters back home that Daschle was more concerned with Washington than with them.

In fact, Daschle stayed in the capital city after his defeat, becoming a public policy adviser and member of the legislative and public policy group at the law and lobbying firm Alston & Bird. Daschle isn't registered as a lobbyist. He advises clients on issues including health care, financial services, taxes and trade, according to the firm's Web site.

Health care interests, including CVS Caremark, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Abbott Laboratories and HealthSouth, are among the firm's lobbying clients.

Daschle's appointment was not formally announced, but Democratic officials said the job was his barring an unforeseen problem as Obama's team reviews his background. One area of review will include the lobbying connections of his wife, Linda Hall Daschle, who has worked mostly on behalf of airline-related companies over the years. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Republicans sniped at what they saw as an unwelcome trend. Alex Conant, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said, "Barack Obama is filling his administration with longtime Washington insiders."

[slim1h2o]

The economy is tanking, and they come up with another over paid bogus post to fill.

To Mr Obama; I have noticed that the Secretary of the Moon has not been filled. I would like to nominate myself to that post. And will fill my obligations for just $200.000 per year.

Thank You for your consideration.....Slim

[tjm509]

This is the same woman who runs the exploding prison system in Arizona. Her policy is to lock up as many people as she can. MANDATORY SENTENCING for 1st time drug offenders. One Billion Dollars for prisons, Education, they didn''t fair so well. The change is a little short.

[tincup356]

Homeland Security is nothing more than a joke and a waste of billions of dollars.It was not created to secure our borders but instead it was intended as a vehicle to waste more money and to create laws to quickly have emergency control over the people.If homeland security has controlled our borders...how did we get 20 million illegals here taking jobs from Americans? The war on terror is a made up sham just to make billions in profits for the privatized industries that Bush has pushed on us this entire war.Wake up people lies by Bush and congress have just about sunk our ship,Just because bush is leaving does not mean change will really happen, the only change we get is who is lying to us now.Congress has committed treason on the people of this country,we have been sold out to the highest lobby dollar.

[promaclaura]

Tincup, I hope those phantom terrorists hit your home first.

[tincup356]

to promaclaura, Currently we are under a phantom attack alert....its a white collar , suit and tie terrorist attack,spearheaded by some crook to be called ala-paulson, He has sworn to take what bush and congress have left in their pillaging of America. only thing is this attack really isn''t phantom, its really happening, just check your retirement accounts, they''ve retired.But we don''t have to worry...homeland security will take care of it......they have Blackwater on the payroll.

[tincup356]

to promaclaura, Currently we are under a phantom attack alert....its a white collar , suit and tie terrorist attack,spearheaded by some crook to be called ala-paulson, He has sworn to take what bush and congress have left in their pillaging of America. only thing is this attack really isn''t phantom, its really happening, just check your retirement accounts, they''ve retired.But we don''t have to worry...homeland security will take care of it......they have Blackwater on the payroll.

[sleepyric]

i want to know her credentials?? What qualifies her to head this very important post? What experience? This post needs something more than an administrator.

[tincup356]

to sleepyric.she does look a little like Bootjack Janet Reno...with the sly eyed Richard Cheney look.

How can a person unable to control her own borders be expected to control the borders of the U.S.A.? When Obama met with John McCain recently, did John assign his "vetting staff" to Obama?

[jmsinil]

if Obama really wanted to change he could get rid of the redunent posts and he could get the Senators and Congressmen/women to give back their salarys and Perks and get back to being Public Servents!!

[petro49l]

How would Janet Napolitano handle another 9-11 Disaster? Al Qada and domestic terror groups said that they will repeat what happened in New York City and Oklahoma City. Bin Laden has flooded American streets with tar heroin, methamphetamine, potent hashish, and PCP. Al Qada reaps the profits of narcotics sales and destroys the morality of the nation.

[platteman]

She wants open borders. that is why she has so many dead beats in her state.

Guess we got change alright. Change for the worse. Stock market is tanking, obama is being promoted as the messiah and the press is in the tank for him.

Taxes are going up, jobs are going away, Obama is the great one. I am glad everyone hates Bush so much. They elected the least qualified, most liberal and now look, the old clinton adminstration is comming back. More corruption, Holder, we will see more than even Clinton could do. Oh well, that is what you get when you elect an empty suit.

[shanev137]

The hair would have to go.

[qutlaw104]

I think she is an outstanding choice, it is a do nothing job anyway. since I live in Arizona, send her to DC and we would be rid of her. Give her to Obama and all his supporters.

[smb127]

I find the statement,"Napolitano,a two term governor, who came out early for Obama", to be quite amusing. Seems the governor has a habit of coming out, doesn''t he, or is it she?

[ioweign]

She wants open borders. that is why she has so many dead beats in her state.

Guess we got change alright. Change for the worse. Stock market is tanking, obama is being promoted as the messiah and the press is in the tank for him.

Taxes are going up, jobs are going away, Obama is the great one. I am glad everyone hates Bush so much. They elected the least qualified, most liberal and now look, the old clinton adminstration is comming back. More corruption, Holder, we will see more than even Clinton could do. Oh well, that is what you get when you elect an empty suit.

Posted by Platteman at 07:56 AM : Nov 20, 2008


So you want empty heads back...

[ioweign]

How can a person unable to control her own borders be expected to control the borders of the U.S.A.? When Obama met with John McCain recently, did John assign his "vetting staff" to Obama?

Posted by menmotoscutr at 07:46 AM : Nov 20, 2008

Since when did states assume foreign policy ?

[azoldtimer]

Excellent choice. We here in Arizona welcome the departure of ''Janet From Another Planet".
She came into office here with a budget surplus and departs leaving us with almost a 1 1/2 to 2 billion dollar shortfall.
Her work here is finished.

[ioweign]

The economy is tanking, and they come up with another over paid bogus post to fill.

To Mr Obama; I have noticed that the Secretary of the Moon has not been filled. I would like to nominate myself to that post. And will fill my obligations for just $200.000 per year.

Thank You for your consideration.....Slim


Posted by slim1h2o at 06:36 AM : Nov 20, 2008

This position was created under the Boosh Regime and is currently occupied by Micheal Chertoff.

[csh20001]

Mr. Obama,

This is a big mistake. Nappy as we affectionately call her does not support security in our state. She constantly put up road blocks to secure our boarder with Mexico. She was against a proposition that AZ voted on last year (and passed) to penalize companies that knowingly hired illegal aliens. In her six years as Governor, she has trashed this state leaving it with a 2.5Bil dollar deficit and our Schools are amongst the bottom (48) of the states in education. The only good that will come out of this is that she will no longer be Governor of Arizona.

[gop_will_win]

He is going to name Napoleon as our homeland security chief? Not only has he been dead for 250 years but he was a dictator who tried to conquor the world through war! This is yet another blunder Obama has made.

[slim1h2o]

This position was created under the Boosh Regime and is currently occupied by Micheal Chertoff.

Posted by IOWEIGN at 08:19 AM : Nov 20, 2008

Yes I know. But it still does not make it any less bogus, right? Just look at the fine job Jerkhoff has done.

But if I''m appointed Secr. of the Moon, I will make sure that no illegals will ever set foot on the moon without proper paperwork, and most have a viable job already lined up before entering.

And also, I will make sure that the moon rises to it''s appointed rounds of full,, half,, and quarter moons, to make sure that we will continue to have our tides. Which are very beneficial for our walks along our beaches.

[observantx]

Napolitano?

( y a w n )

Z - Z - Z - Z - Z - Z - Z - Z

[armandbeni]

Change? What change! The people being picked are political supporters not the best person for the job. She was a early supporter, therfore she''s qualified. Picking insiders without qualifications over experts insures that there is no change and that this administration will run a bad as the last.
I guess I shouldn''t expect anything else, the election was the same, if Obama and McCain are the two best qualified people for the job of President of the United States I''ll eat my hat!

[drivelphobe]

Napolitano is worthless on the immigration issue. She fights Joe Arpaio at every corner in her attempt to force the acceptance of "God''s children" by the angry Arizona citizens who are sick and tired of the illegals in their state. Sheriff Joe should be in charge of Homeland Security. This place would shape up fast.

[ysmart1]

As a Democrat and former resident of Arizona, I found Janet Napolitano to be a shining star. She has been a very successful two term governor in a Republican state. She cut State''s 1 billion dollar deficit upon her arrival into office down to a 1 billion dollar savings account, without raising taxes, and she did this not long after 9-11 and shortly after taking office. She has received presidential appointments, won the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, has served as Chair of the Western Governor%u2019s Association, and in the National Governor%u2019s Association. She was named as one of Time Magazine''s 5 top governors in the U.S.
I would suggest doing some research first, before posting with little or no knowledge about this subject...that''s sooo Palinesque.

[jjorcutt]

You people don''t know what your talking about. Illegal Immigration in Arizona has dropped significantly since Napolitano has been in office thanks to efforts to punish those who really are responsible for the illegals in the first place, the businesses who hire them. She understands what works and what doesn''t regarding border security and has always held the position that the Federal government needs to do more to secure our borders.

[oldguy4truth]

Napolitano?

That''s an odd choice. I do not get that one Obama.

[oldguy4truth]

She once said, "You build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder."

Then you push over the Ladder

[likeitis5050]

Change we can use....change we need....change Washington needs....yadayadayada.....

However had he said he was going to regurgitate the Clinton Administration he would probably have been elected just the same so one has to wonder why Obama didn''t come clean before the election.

[solarrays247-2009]

....I would suggest doing some research first, before posting with little or no knowledge about this subject...that''''s sooo Palinesque.

Posted by ysmart1 at 12:31 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Perhaps we can forgive them due to the fact that they have probably been dumbed down for Palin''s 10-seconds worth of nonsensical sound-bites?

By the way, I''d like to commend you, ysmart1, for an in-depth and intelligent analysis of why Obama may be considering Gov. Janet Napolitano for this post. This will assist me with my own research, thank you.

[nolalou]

If Napoletano is so bad, as some of you claim, why did she win a landslide re-election as Governor in a state where illegal immigration is such a big problem. She''s right, building fences is NOT the answer!

How about we actuality let Obama and his team take office first, and see what they can do, before trashing his appointments, some of which are based on rumors, and may not even be true, since he hasn''t announced them! I guess that would be asking too much of you MORONS!

[tincup356]

The department of Homeland Security,Is a prime example of government waste,how many billions are funneled to the George Bush created lie? They have done nothing more than become a giant ineffective money sucking monster that has spent its time and effort to become secret police with secret rules designed to give the white house the power to declare martial law for any reason they desire to call.Our government has spun out of control and now they are eliminating the middle class as fast as they can while stealing the worlds wealth.

[kansas1946]

Change we can use....change we need....change Washington needs....yadayadayada.....

However had he said he was going to regurgitate the Clinton Administration he would probably have been elected just the same so one has to wonder why Obama didn''''t come clean before the election.


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Posted by likeitis5050 at 03:49 PM : Nov 20, 2008
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Rush is just so brilliant, NOT. The change people want, the change people are getting, is change from the last eight years. We want change from BUSH''s failed policies. Now THAT is change that we can live with.

[kansas1946]

Thank you President Bush for your wonderful service to this great nation! You will surely go down in history as one of the best this countrys ever seen. We salute you Mr. President!



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Posted by TheMasses10 at 03:25 PM : Nov 20, 2008
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LMAO. That was a joke, right?

[rsamps1]

I was expecting President Obama to disband the dept. of Homeland security- after all, it''s simply a part of the Bush/Cheney terror propaganda- all panic, all the time. It''s far from needed, it''s absolutely worthless..