Bryson Crash Reveals Threat of Headless Government 308
Hugh Pickens writes "According to Business Week, the traffic accident that left U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson unconscious and alone in his bashed-up Lexus on June 9 raises questions about why the 10th official in line to succeed the president was left so vulnerable. It also highlights potential gaps in security for senior U.S. government officials, who receive varying levels of protection. 'They lost track of him,' says James Carafano, a terrorism scholar at the Heritage Foundation. 'Post 9/11, that's a bit of a head scratcher.' Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who are high in the line of succession and have national-security responsibilities, are provided protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but other federal officials, even in cabinet-level positions or other top posts, often travel without the security details that even a big-city mayor or state governor would be provided. Threats to cabinet-level officials aren't overblown, says Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who has urged that the government revamp its succession plans and says a nuclear bomb hidden in a suitcase detonated in Washington could leave a headless government. 'The lack of interest in continuity may stem from the same reasons some smart people refuse to create wills, even though failure to do so leaves behind horrific messes for their loved ones,' writes Ornstein. 'Yet the threat is real. Our leaders' failure to establish plans to ensure that our Constitution survives is irresponsible.'"
Who gives a shit (Score:5, Funny)
It's the Secretary of Education we have to protect. So say us all.
Re:protection (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Really 10th in line? (Score:5, Funny)
Oh my gosh!
You're questioning the wisdom that's been provided by representatives of the Heritage Foundation -and- the American Enterprise Institute? The very think-tanks that write the words that become the lines that the Republicans tow? The bastions of conservative intelligence that push for perpetual wars, and want and need the FEAR of the general populace against THEM to give them power?
Oh my gosh!
Re:Really 10th in line? (Score:5, Funny)
It matters little. Our government would not be headless. There are a whole lot of corporate headquarters not located in Washington after all.
Re:Really 10th in line? (Score:4, Funny)
reveals? (Score:4, Funny)
Seems to me we have been experimenting with "headless government" pretty frequently for the past two centuries.