orange

Tom Ridge, the head of the Department of Homeland Security (who apparently will be leaving his job after the election because he can't afford to send his kids to college on his $175,000 salary), said today that a lot of the information that raised the terror alert levels on east coast buildings, led officials all over the country to ramp up security even at sites not mentioned in the information, and kept the media from sea to shining sea abuzz with feverish speculation dates back to the years 2000 and 2001. But, he continues to insist, "it was essential" to release it to the public and raise the alert level to "orange" for specific sites.

Okey-doke.

That these kinds of terror plans are long-term affairs is a given and only the most cynical amongst us would question the timing of portentous pronouncements from the White House's stalwart Homeland Security guy (who says that he and his department are apolitical when it comes to the job they have to do. And that is, of course, good to know.)

Only the most cynical amongst us would accuse Mr. Ridge and the administration of covering their asses so that when and if (more likely "when" than "if" given our open society and our busy, complicated lives which leaves us little time or interest to be look around every corner for terrorists) something happens they can...and indeed will... say that they warned us all along ("see...we told you that SOMETHING would happen in SOME WAY on SOMEDAY at SOME PLACE...we really called that one, didn't we? Maybe next time you'll listen to us!")

Indeed, only the most cynical amongst us would point out that the administration speaks of the terrorists as having being dealt major, debilitating, demoralizing setbacks when they want to show how they're winning the "war on terror" but, at the same time, that they also say that the network(s) of terrorists are apparently still organized, disciplined, and funded well enough to pose major threats to the homeland (a fact which often, coincidentally I'm sure, goes onto the front burner when the administration might want to change the story being spotlighted by the news media...say, just for example, the story of the Democratic challengers hitting the road after their mostly harmonious convention.)

*****

It is, changing the subject somewhat, good to hear that the Statue of Liberty, refitted with new safety features and restrictions, is reopened to the public for the first time since 2001. The great lady is too important a symbol of this country to be forever closed to the people out of fear.