Adjourning in the face of the enemy

By Glenn R. Jackson

 As the strength and bravery of the American people continues to shine, the failure of our leadership grows more alarming by the day.  What is the latest?  The leadership of both Houses of Congress negotiated a run for the high grass and a bolt from the anthrax scare in Washington.  While the Senate apparently found some backbone among its membership, it was not in time to show leadership and prevent a complete breakdown in Washington.

 In the face of the enemy, and in a war that threatens direct attacks on the American people, Congress is effectively in retreat.  All this while the President was out of the country.  If you were looking for U.S. leadership you would not have found it in Washington last week.

 What a nightmare.  Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, continues to fail on the public health front.  Home Front Defense czar, Tom Ridge, holds a good press conference, but struggles to determine his role and his charge.  And the disjointed Houses of Congress cannot coordinate the question of whether to adjourn or not to adjourn.

 Except for the bright light of the American people you would really fear for the future.  We have all acknowledged the heroic efforts of the New York City police and fire departments.  Add to their heroism that shown by the young lady at the New York Post, who actually is a victim of anthrax.  Johanna Huden writing in the New York Post describes her discovery of the skin-contracted form of anthrax.  What was her reaction to the discovery that she was infected with anthrax?  Well, she began treatment, she continued to work, and, unlike the U.S. Congress, she refused to be bowed.

 Lisa Beamer, wife of one of Flight 93’s heroes, completed the flight from Newark to San Francisco in memory of her husband.  She continues to demonstrate for the entire world the best of America responding to attack and to loss.

 Meanwhile, Congress is bleating and spinning and hoping Tom Ridge will bail them out.  Does anyone have a plan in Washington?  Well, anyone other than Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), who has never met a dollar or an anti-American statement she does not plan to shamelessly co-opt.

 Nature abhors a vacuum, whether it is a moral vacuum as in the case of Rep. McKinney, or a leadership vacuum.  So maybe Congress and Homeland Defense will try these plans on for size.

 ProjectUSA reports that “the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) now admits there are some 300,000 aliens in the country who have been issued deportation orders, but rather than being deported, have simply vanished.” 

• Homeland Defense czar, Tom Ridge, should immediately contact the INS for these files and coordinate with state and local law-enforcement the pick-up and deportation of these individuals.  Law-enforcement coordination was clearly part of the President’s job description for Ridge and here is a task wide-open for immediate results.  Surely if we eliminate a criminal community of 300,000 illegal aliens, a group with a vested interest in hiding themselves and any OTHER, that makes the haystack smaller and easier to locate the needles.
• The President has made the request to U.S. governors for the deployment of National Guard troops to assist with airport security.  The President should immediately request that Governors of states with common borders with Canada and Mexico to deploy National Guard troops to work with the INS to patrol those Borders.  Again this is a clear coordination job for Tom Ridge to take under the Homeland Defense umbrella.
• Congress must pass and fund the Immigration Reform Act including all recommendations of the U.S. Commission of Immigration Reform.  Citizens Lobby reports, “...since September 11th there has been an increase in ‘OTMs’, which is Border Patrol lingo meaning ‘Other Than Mexicans.’  One in every ten aliens that they do catch now is 'Middle Eastern' and from a country like 'Egypt or Yemen,' according to a recent article by J. Zane Walley (posted on WorldNetDaily) who quotes several Border Patrol agents.”  Congress can no longer afford to fiddle while America is under attack.

 Never in this nation’s history have we faced the deliberate introduction of life-threatening disease.  However, this bio-attack has been anticipated for eight plus years without a real public health response planned.  Given that bin Laden has had years to plan his attack we should all conclude that he is a step ahead in actuality, while we are still in the dithering stage. 

• Congress must immediately lift the “red-tape” restriction on vaccine production for Small Pox virus.  If hearings are needed they need to be convened yesterday.  A clear plan should be emerging now on re-introducing the vaccination of America’s school aged children.
• Congress should also be considering the threat of biological attacks on our livestock and agriculture.  Outbreaks of hoof and mouth and mad cow disease in Europe should be viewed as the precursors of a serious direct attack.  We are the world’s breadbasket, and as bin Laden attacked our financial center, there may be a similar attack planned for our heartland.   Terrorist inquiring about the use of crop dusters may not have been aimed at spreading airborne anthrax, but at something serious for our agricultural areas.  Hoof and mouth disease is highly contagious and easily spread.
• Tom Ridge should re-invigorate the Civil Defense system.  A major component for any successful civil defense program is informing the public of the threat and the actions they need to take to reduce danger.  In the vacuum of a governmental response the American media is prone to “go it alone’ in discussing civil defense.  Since much of what the media does is alarmist at best, Tom Ridge needs to give the media the “right information” to talk about.  Media outlets today have nearly 24 hours of airtime, etc. to cover.  Mr. Ridge needs to provide much of the information the media is talking about.

 The American people are performing very well during this opening phase of the war.  It is now time for Congress and the Home Defense team to get their feet under them and provide the leadership we will need for a safe and secure home front.

  Glenn Jackson is Chair of the American Reformation Project, former State Chairman for Buchanan Reform and former state Chairman of the Georgia Freedom Party.  Glenn also served on the Executive Committee of the Reform Party USA.