What’s the Truth at Homeland Security?: The Secretary vs. the Inspector General
EmailTwo respected Republicans are at war over who’s telling the truth.
At issue, security failures at the Department of Homeland Security and allegations by a former Inspector General that the Bush administration wanted them covered up.
But former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is calling into question the recollection of his one-time Inspector General Clark Kent Ervin.
Ervin told ABC News that Ridge told him to tone down criticism of security failures in the months before the 2004 Presidential election.
In a statement to ABC News, Ridge says, "Mr. Ervin’s recall of events is wrong."
Ervin says Ridge called him in and sought "to intimidate me, to stare me down, to force me to back off, to not look into those areas that would be controversial, not to issue critical reports."
"I never sought to keep any reports from Congress," Ridge said.
The full report with Ervin will air tonight on ABC News Nightline.
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It is amazing how the politicos twist every statement. Ervin said he was told to “tone it down,” not cover it up. Ridge is like everyone else in this administration. Cover Bush’s behind first and if you have time deny enough to cover your own. The whole bunch belongs in jail.
Posted by: Mike Owens | May 2, 2006, 10:17 am 10:17 am
Watch and read the media for one week and you might come up with this, “When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging.”
Posted by: Marvin Tyacke | May 2, 2006, 10:23 am 10:23 am
So that’s it! “Mr. Ervin’s recall of events is wrong.” Anyone who refutes the actions of this administration becomes either the victim of name-calling or is pronounced “wrong.” It’s getting more than tiresome, and it would never play in Peoria.
Posted by: felicity | May 2, 2006, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
With the tract record of the Bush administration i would tend to believe Ervin.
Posted by: Gio Salerno | May 2, 2006, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm
It’s amazing how supporters of this administration think that speaking out about problems is harming the operation. I guess we should say nothing and let problems continue. The whole reason for criticism to bring problems to light so that they get brought to and end.
Posted by: Gail Farley | May 2, 2006, 3:20 pm 3:20 pm
Why is it that guys who are guilty and who are crooks can never look one in the eye, but are always scanning the area and looking away from the eyes of the ones who are asking them questions or the camera? And why is it that they never ‘look’ honest? Bush? Cheney? Ridge? Frist? etc. you know who I am talking about!!
Posted by: Sunder | May 2, 2006, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
I’m sure every administration has spun its dirty laundry in the most favorable light. This one; however, seems to have no limits to its ineptness and no boundaries as to how far it will go to cover it up.
Posted by: Ken Cogan | May 2, 2006, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
It’s not important whether somebody “intimidated” someone else or not. If Mr. Ervin has something that needs to be reviewed then let’s get on with it. Show us the dirt! You are both Americans hopefully working for the same goal. And you both work for us – the People. These soap-opera squabbles are tiresome. To paraphrase a movie line spoken by Martin Sheen…”every day Charlie sits in the bush getting stronger.” Lets not forget that.
Posted by: Smitty | May 2, 2006, 6:40 pm 6:40 pm
I was always taught when a person attempts to intimidate another person; it was because they were hiding something. To cause fear among the individual, so they will not speak the truth. There is some darkness in all of this, and we need light shine on it, bright.
God Bless
Posted by: Victoria Rum | May 2, 2006, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
What is the title of Mr. Ervin’s book and when will it be released?
Posted by: H. Baughman | May 3, 2006, 12:21 am 12:21 am
This is just another ploy at cover ups in the Bush administation. Bush is now currently trying to cover up that he led us into Iraq with lies by blaming poor intelligence. But with leadership comes responsibility. Bush is currently the Commander. But Commanders must accept responsibility for their actions even if it means losing political capital. If he doesn’t accept responsibility then he is no leader. HE IS A DECIEVER. He decieve us to gain political power and power to control. A tactician needs tactics to win even if they are dirty tactics. And Bush is a very dirty tactician.
Posted by: JackMan | May 3, 2006, 7:42 am 7:42 am
After all has been said and done, who is a bad Bush or Carter?
Posted by: CARLOS A. GARCIA | May 3, 2006, 8:13 am 8:13 am
Personally, I have never seen an administration as egotistical as this one. It’s their way or the “highway”. There is no room for dissent or disagreement. They cannot admit that they have made any mistakes and so nothing will change while they are in office.
Posted by: Priscilla Mullen | May 3, 2006, 8:53 am 8:53 am
More reason to have a clean slate this November. The only good thing Bush has done in the last 6 months is make that speech at the Press Corps dinner, and most of the jokes weren’t his. Congress is doing a terrible job because of “party loyalty” and other garbage. Sadly, party politics is too strong. George Washington, our first and one of our greatest presidents, warned us against the domination of parties. Let us take is word to heart and get some fresh ideas in Washington this November.
Posted by: Drew | May 3, 2006, 9:52 am 9:52 am
I ask myself why Ervin would wait until now to make these comments. Does he have a book deal? I am from Pennsylvania and intimidation is not Tom Ridge’s style. He is an honest man and it is our loss as a country not to have him in public service now. I am tired of this name calling – instead of pointing fingers all the time why don’t the politicians do something constructive?
Posted by: Nan | May 3, 2006, 10:11 am 10:11 am
How long will the American people stand for these lies and corruption. Every day I read about another scandal in The Bush Administration. I find it hard to believe that our govenment is doing anything to protect our country. All they ever do is investigate the crime scene. Can anyone really feel safe in a country whose Government is at odds with itself? Who do I believe? Superman of course!
Posted by: Ken Cooper | May 3, 2006, 10:28 am 10:28 am
I believe mr. Ervin, this whole administration sucks,they’re all a bunch of criminals left over from tricky Dick nixion’s time.and we wonder why there’s no respect anymore in our country,we
have become like a banana republic,from the stealing of the
presencedy and on and on…
Posted by: max rosa | May 3, 2006, 10:51 am 10:51 am
No one cries “cover up” and questions or gripes about every dose of policy more than the media. Is this really news? War is war and to define it any way other than pure hell is rediculous, so I can understand the argument’s surface. However, what is wrong in addressing a war in a hopeful, optimistic light– honoring the death of soldiers & civilians as the tragic, ultimate sacrifice in the steps towards freedom– especially as involved as the U.S. has become in the reconstruction process? Often i hear that “questioning govt authority is our democratic liberty/duty”, but what about questioning the media and their suspect coverage of the war? Or are items just accpeted as dogma just because they are on T.V. or the internet? Didn’t another election JUST take place in Iraq?? As i sit, double-clicking, looking for coverage, what i get is the conspiracy quest as an attempt to discredit the Bush administration as “stealing” another election (again) and to clense “our” hands of the financial, tragic burden of war by claiming this as “Bush’s War” rather than OUR war. Toning down war…is that news? Further, isn’t it time to stop the “War is not The ANSWER” campaign as it just occured to me…what was the QUESTION?? Finally, when are we going to take “a poll” on whether there was a cover-up? That kind of creativity in discussing true/real life disturbs me. Polls are NOT news, polls only create news… likely the product of lack of focus by the media. Now I wait for the next Sharpton-Olberman-Maher-esque whining jingle about how Bush got “lucky BACK IN 04″ …if that is news, its over 500 days old.
Posted by: Ryan Sharp | May 3, 2006, 11:40 am 11:40 am
We will only be safe once we are all microchipped. The 2008 national ID card won’t come soon enough. We must be implanted immediately in order to bring about a national terror-free utopia. No more crime once we are microchipped and perpetually surveilled by super computers. The poster who brings up the irrelevancy of rights when you’re kids are dead is correct. Rights are anachronistic and unnecessary in the new order. The new order demands sacrifice. The Homeland must be secure! Security and peace are paramount to petty concerns over liberty. Those with nothing to hide do not need freedom. Freedom is something the guilty hide behind. We have seen the damage freedom can do–19 men with too much freedom on 9-11.
It is time to get tough and stop whining. We must have retina, fingerprint, voice, and other security checks. Every city block should have checkpoints. Once we have the microchips (only the bad guys will resist them) we will use them to move swiftly through the cities and towns. We will scan to exit our secure smart homes. We will scan to drive our secure smart cars. We will scan to gain access to all goods and services–only this way will we be safe from the evildoers.
The microchips will make our lives easier in numerous ways. Imagine not having to pull out your wallet anymore. Imagine breezing through the supermarket checkout.
Demand that Congress revoke the bill of rights as it is an 18th century document that only has deleterious effects in a 21st century world where the evildoers are hiding everywhere. YOU’RE NEIGHBORS MAY NOT BE WHO THEY APPEAR TO BE!
Posted by: Sean | May 4, 2006, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm