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Ridge Confirmed as Security Chief January 22, 2003 By DAVID STOUT WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 - The Senate unanimously confirmed Tom Ridge today as the nation's first secretary of homeland security, entrusting him to preside over the biggest reorganization of the government in a half-century. All 94 senators present endorsed the former Pennsylvania governor. The vote was no surprise, since Mr. Ridge won unanimous endorsement of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday as members of both parties heaped praise upon him. The real issue underlying the confirmation is whether the country is better prepared to ward off terrorism now than it was on Sept. 11, 2001. Mr. Ridge insisted at his confirmation hearing that it is, but several panel members strongly disagreed, arguing among other things that the Bush administration has not done enough to stamp out bureaucratic turf battles and shake intelligence agencies out of their lethargy. But there was no disagreement when Mr. Ridge told the Senate committee on Friday that "in spite of everything we have done, we are only at the beginning of what will be a long struggle to protect this country from terrorism." "We face a hate-filled, remorseless enemy that takes many forms, hides in many places and doesn't distinguish between innocent civilians and military combatants," Mr. Ridge added. "Terrorism directly threatens the foundation of our nation, our people, our freedom, our economic prosperity." President Bush welcomed today's action. "With today's historic vote, the Senate has demonstrated our shared commitment to doing everything we can to secure our homeland," Mr. Bush said in a statement. Mr. Ridge assumed his Cabinet-level post two days before the new department formally goes into business. Mr. Ridge faces a monumental logistical challenge in organizing the new department, which will draw together 22 federal agencies and nearly 170,000 employees in the largest reorganization of the federal government since the creation of the Defense Department after World War II. Among the entities to be folded into the new department are the Secret Service, Coast Guard, Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The headquarters for the new department is expected to be in Virginia. It is widely assumed that it will be many months before the department is fully functioning. Mr. Ridge graduated from Harvard and saw combat in the Vietnam War. He was a member of the House of Representative from Erie, Pa., for 12 years before being elected governor in 1994. Shortly after the terror attacks of 2001, Mr. Ridge left the governorship to become head of the White House Office of Homeland Security, so he was a logical candidate to head the new Cabinet department. Mr. Ridge's mission will be not just protecting the United States but doing it without trampling on individual rights, Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, said today. "It is essential that Governor Ridge understand that he will be responsible not only for defending the homeland but also for defending against the abuse of power within the new department," Mr. Byrd said. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/22/politics/22cnd-ridge.html?ex=1044277529&ei=1&en=6b9763ff160cfa63 HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
