Democratic Party leaders and followers, including those in the press, are worrying aloud as to why the nation’s Federal Intelligence agencies failed to “connect the dots” prior to September 11^th. I will offer a one-word answer – Clinton – and my new paraphrased law of organizational cause and effect, “absolute corruption at the highest level of an organization corrupts the organization absolutely” (see Enron, Global Crossings, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, etc.) as the short answer to their concerns. It is just too bad about that botched impeachment guys.

Nevertheless that was then and this is now, and suddenly finding the courage to investigate the attacks on this country over NINE months after they were carried out tells me all I want to know about the Congress of the United States and the Senate in particular. That being, Democrats in Congress have checked out on the Terror War coming out only when it seems safe to play. Republicans do not fare any better having, with a few notable exceptions, checked out permanently since 1995.

Given the bravery and determination of the men and women of New York City and the Pentagon in the gruesome task of sifting and removing the rubble and debris, and in beginning to rebuild, who needs Congress? In other words now that the hard sad work is done, it is probably safe to let Congress occupy itself by revisiting the past. If only they would be a little quieter about it.

However, the serious work of examining the here and now needs to be carried out, and to that we will get right to work.

June 6^th the President went on national networks to announce a major restructuring of the U.S. government to promote national security, this reflected in a new Department of Homeland Security. The President’s proposal will give his Administration a new cabinet level position and the country a new bureaucratic department of government.

Predictably the Democrats had some helpful comments. Senator Ted Kennedy, in particular, calling the reorganization a rearranging of the chairs on the Titanic. I guess the Senator should know since he is one of the prime ship-builders of this titanic Ship of State.

Removing the flippant tone of the Senator’s comment as well as his self-serving hypocrisy, we should nevertheless all be concerned that the President has failed to show that his administration is fit to conduct an honest and reliable defense of the Homeland.

Considering the President’s choice of “Homeland” Defense as a naming convention, it is odd that this President continues to entrust the “leadership” of the INS to James Ziglar. The term “Homeland” conveys not only the idea of borders and geographic territory, but also the idea of a cultural and political solidarity.

In no way can James Ziglar be seen as one who supports such a concept, as he is unapologetically in favor of open borders. Recent comments by the INS chief have been dismissive of even attempting an effort to find illegal aliens, much less to deport those that are found.

The President himself is deeply at odds with his own conceptual use of “Homeland,” supporting as he does Mexico’s President’s efforts to relieve Mexico of its economic meltdown though U.S. open borders. So perhaps it is not surprising to find that he continues to support Ziglar’s governmental career.

Recently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Christine Todd Whitman released a controversial “Global Warming” report. The controversy not so much in the conclusions of the report as in the fact that the report was ever released at all. You see the President had no foreknowledge of the report, and neither did the EPA chief Ms. Whitman.

The President later was dismissive of the report as being a product of the “bureaucracy,” failing completely to understand that it is HIS bureaucracy. Clearly if his administration and his point person at the EPA, Christine Todd Whitman, were caught by surprise there are deep problems in command and control.

Unfortunately the problems with command and control extend beyond the EPA.

The CIA has been given “orders” to eliminate Saddam Hussein. I know this because the information was leaked to the press by; well one guess would be the CIA itself. Now explain how a “covert” action remains covert if the agency responsible is leaking the secret stuff to the press?

CIA Director Tenet continues to hold a job at one of the two most critical intelligence agencies in the country even though his tenure began in the mid-1990’s and led to the worst attack within our nation’s borders ever.

Robert Mueller holds down the other critical intelligence position at the FBI, and yet is clearly implicated in the deliberate cover up of his agency’s mishandling of the “20^th Hijacker” case.

Norman Mineta the Transportation Secretary is conducting the greatest scam on American liberty ever perpetrated, all in the name of Air In-Security.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson continues in his key public health role in spite of a complete bungling of the Anthrax attacks. (No we have not caught the culprit – add to FBI and Mueller) With the Anthrax attacks fresh on our minds, the nation still does not have a vaccination or distribution plan to prevent small pox, although the vaccine is being stockpiled…somewhere.

Attorney-General Ashcroft surprises and angers the White House with his announcement from Moscow of the capture of the “Dirty-Bomber.” Secretary of State Powell has allowed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to fester into a distraction in the Terror War, by contributing conflicting comments to those of the President. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge was unable to get past a color-coded warning system in pulling together the needed components for a defense of the nation, which necessitated the President’s naming of a new Cabinet position. Mr. Ridge is a leading candidate for this new position.

Mr. President, for a real Homeland security plan it is time for you to stay home, take a good hard look around your Cabinet table, and begin a much-needed reorganization of your Administration.

Glenn R. Jackson is Chairman 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. Glenn holds an MA in Philosophy from Georgia State University in Atlanta.