Michael Chertoff Nominated as New Homeland Security Secretary

Strategic Insights -

President George W. Bush's selection of Michael Chertoff as the new Secretary of Homeland Security is expected to bring significant changes to the department, given Chertoff's background as a Justice Department official and his role in devising the administration's legal response to fighting terrorism. Chertoff, a 51-year-old New Jersey native and the son of a rabbi, has been described as a "brilliant thinker" by Bush, who has been praised for his skills as an aggressive prosecutor and his acumen in the field of homeland security and law enforcement. Chertoff's nomination comes after the withdrawal of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik due to personal life revelations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Michael Chertoff, a 51-year-old New Jersey native, has been nominated as the new Secretary of Homeland Security by President George W. Bush.
  • Chertoff has served as a Justice Department official and played a key role in devising the administration's legal response to fighting terrorism.
  • Chertoff is described as a "brilliant thinker" by Bush, who has praised him for his skills as an aggressive prosecutor and his acumen in the field of homeland security and law enforcement.
  • Chertoff's nomination comes after the withdrawal of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik due to personal life revelations.
  • Chertoff is expected to bring a more aggressive approach to counterterrorism, focusing on stopping terrorism in the first place rather than just responding to attacks.
  • Chertoff has been praised by Juliette Kayyem, a Harvard University legal expert on counterterrorism, for his smart, honest, and intense personality.
  • James Carafano, a homeland security expert at the Heritage Foundation, believes that Chertoff will require closer ties between the Homeland Security Department and the Justice Department, including the FBI.
  • Chertoff has been criticized by P.J. Crowley, director of the homeland security program at the Center for American Progress, for lacking management experience and being unqualified for the role of Secretary of Homeland Security.
  • Paul Light, a Brookings Institution expert on homeland security, has stated that Chertoff will need to find experienced senior managers to help him run the department.
  • Funding for homeland security is expected to be an issue for Chertoff, with the administration facing rising costs of the war in Iraq and potential changes in Social Security.

Statistics:

  • 51: The age of Michael Chertoff, the new nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security.
  • 180,000: The number of employees that Chertoff would oversee in the Homeland Security Department.
  • 22: The number of diverse and sometimes competing agencies that Chertoff would help meld together as Secretary of Homeland Security.
  • 25: The number of years that James Carafano, a homeland security expert at the Heritage Foundation, has been in the Army.
  • 2005: The year in which the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published the article about Michael Chertoff's nomination.

Sources:

  • The Washington Post-Dispatch
  • Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
  • Center for American Progress
  • Brookings Institution
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Harvard University
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch (c) 2005