It's now old news that Senator Jim DeMint (R - SC) has had a hold on Obama's nomination of Errol Stouthers as Head of the TSA. Apparently, the hold was placed because of DeMint's almost pathological fear/hatred of unions:
If organized labor got involved, DeMint said, union bosses would have the power "to veto or delay future security improvements at our airports."
It's extraordinarily insightful that the good Senator used these words in his statement because one could argue that Jim DeMint also has the power "to veto or delay future security improvements at our airports". Not surprsingly, he attempted to exercise that power only 2 1/2 years ago.
Spencer Ackerman now reports that Senator Jim DeMint voted against a bill implementing the 9/11 commissions recommendations. The bill, which passed by a wide bipartisan margin, called for increasing the domestic security of the United States in a number of ways including but not limited to:
Requires the secretary of homeland security to establish department-wide procedures by which to receive and analyze intelligence from state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector ...
Authorizes funding levels for various efforts of Transportation Security Administration, including $1.99 billion for railroad security, $95 million for over-the-road bus and trucking security, and $36 million for hazardous material and pipeline security through fiscal year 2011... Source via Ackerman's article
and...
Directs the Secretary to: (1) begin to increase the number of explosives detection canine teams certified by TSA for purposes of transportation-related security by up to 200 canine teams by the end of 2010; and (2) encourage state, local, and tribal governments and private owners of high-risk transportation facilities to strengthen security through the use of such teams.
Here are the other (all Republicans, of course) Senators who voted Nay on the bill:
Barrasso (R-WY)
Coburn (R-OK)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
F*cking hypocrites, one and all.