By Matthew Hay Brown
Praise for a white Department of Homeland Security employee who dressed for an office Halloween party as a dark-skinned, dreadlocked prisoner could cost the the official who oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement her Senate confirmation.
President Bush used a recess appointment to install Julie Myers as assistant secretary of homeland security in January 2006 after her nomination stalled in the full Senate. Bush renominated her in January 2007, but the Senate has yet to vote on her confirmation.
Now one senator has placed a temporary block on that vote, and Majority Leader Harry Reid is saying that the White House may want to reconsider its support for the embattled administrator.
“I believe that people who serve in government should be sensitive to religious issues, racial issues – personal issues,” Reid told reporters today. “And from what I know about the Halloween party, this woman was involved in awarding a prize to something that I think was very insensitive to what our country’s trying to work through.
“I personally would take a real close look at that before we are able to go the mat,” he said. “I think the White House should really take another look at this person.”
Reid spoke a day after Sen. Claire McCaskill said she had placed a legislative hold on the confirmation vote. The Missouri Democrat, a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, said the incident “shows a lack of judgment that should in fact be held against her as she is trying to lead an incredibly large and important organization that deals with all kinds of ethnic backgrounds.”
Myers was a member of a three-judge panel who gave a “most original costume” award to the employee, who was wearing a bronzer to darken his skin, fake dreadlocks and a striped prisoner's uniform. Myers subsequently apologized to homeland security staff in an e-mail; the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an inquiry.
“As the leader of that organization, she should have immediately recognized the problem and asked that person to leave” McCaskill told CNN. “And what really happened was, she judged the costume as one that should get a prize and be recognized and she had her photograph taken with the person in the costume – and only later came back and apologized and said it was a problem.”
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says he still has confidence in Myers.
“Sometimes people get caught by surprise and they’re presented with a circumstance,” he told CNN. “I know she’s mortified by the fact that she encountered this situation. So she’s made amends. I think the person whose idea it was to dress up like this, we need to look at what the appropriate discipline is. … We do not tolerate any racism, whether it’s intentional or unintentional, in the execution of our duties.”
Myers, 38, is the niece of former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard B. Myers and the wife of U.S. Attorney John F. Wood, a former chief of staff to Chertoff.
• 
• 
• 
• 
Comments
"Myers, 38, is the niece of former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard B. Myers and the wife of U.S. Attorney John F. Wood, a former chief of staff to Chertoff."
Well, at least we know she was appointed to the job with Bush credentials - friends of Georgie.
And before the right wingers like Johnny and Brucie say to lighten up, this was not a Halloween party at a private home. This was done during government time at a government location. That does make her more accountable for it.
Posted by: BobinATL | November 8, 2007 2:51 PM
Move over war on christmas, the war on halloween has begun.
Posted by: GK | November 8, 2007 2:55 PM
For those confused about the issue. It's not that the person painted their white skin black. It is that they wore prison garb and made their hair into dreadlocks and painted their skin black. There is politically correct and then there is the soft racism of perpetuating stereotypes. Funny how Republics think your only a racist if you think we should still have slavery. They can't see the racism when they say things like how they wouldn't mind Snoop Dogg if he dressed a certain way, talked a certain way and sang songs they liked.
Posted by: jethro | November 8, 2007 3:04 PM
Bush was involved in the appt of this lady. Yes another failure of the illustrious GW Bush.
Posted by: rj | November 8, 2007 3:44 PM
I don't see anything wrong with it.
Posted by: Al Jolson | November 8, 2007 4:13 PM
Again, lighten up. It was Halloween. No big deal. And Bobin, even some Lefties said it was ado about nothing. PC BS is out of hand.
Anyway, Reid should resign for doing such a rotten job pretending to be a senator and a human being.
Posted by: John D | November 8, 2007 4:25 PM
"HOMELAND SECURITY MASKS COME OFF"
AND THEY AIN'T THE BROWN PEOPLE!
BUSH APPOINTED HER BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE CHERTOF VP, AND SHE IS MORE THAN WILLING TO WALK THIS PRESIDENTS LINE. SHE WOULD HAVE MADE A GREAT NATIONALITY DIRECTOR FOR THE PLANET!
THEY THINK IT'S A JOKE. MAKE A BLACK MAN OR MEXICAN AMERICAN SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY!
THAT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN AS LONG AS GEORGE BUSH IS PRESIDENT!
Posted by: Roger Morris | November 8, 2007 4:44 PM
"HOMELAND SECURITY MASKS COME OFF"
AND THEY AIN'T THE BROWN PEOPLE!
BUSH APPOINTED HER BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE CHERTOF VP, AND SHE IS MORE THAN WILLING TO WALK THIS PRESIDENTS LINE. SHE WOULD HAVE MADE A GREAT NATIONALITY DIRECTOR FOR THE PLANET!
THEY THINK IT'S A JOKE. MAKE A BLACK MAN OR MEXICAN AMERICAN SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY!
THAT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN AS LONG AS GEORGE BUSH IS PRESIDENT!
Posted by: Roger Morris | November 8, 2007 4:46 PM
"Again, lighten up. It was Halloween. No big deal. And Bobin, even some Lefties said it was ado about nothing. PC BS is out of hand."
Posted by: John D | November 8, 2007 4:25 PM
Oh Good John. Please invite me to your next Halloween Party. I'm going to come as Redneck Jesus Christ, breaking cheetos and Coors beer for the last supper. I was afraid you'd be offended. I'm so relieved you'll see the humor in my costume.
Posted by: JC | November 8, 2007 4:48 PM
Johnny D,
If this person wanted to be a prisoner for Haloween, why did they have to put their hair in dreadlocks and paint their face black? Anyone else feel free to chime in as well. Stereotypes are racist and offensive. This is why it is an abomination to dress as a Nazi soldier during Haloween. There are some costumes you just don't wear out of respect.
Posted by: jethro | November 8, 2007 4:56 PM
Anyway, Reid should resign for doing such a rotten job pretending to be a senator and a human being.
Posted by: John D | November 8, 2007 4:25 PM
Oh, Johnny Dee, some would say you should be impeached for similar offenses, and I think there's more than enough votes to pass it.
Posted by: kb | November 8, 2007 4:58 PM
Yes lighten up everyone. There is no reason why a white man dressed like a prisoner isn't entertaining. As a matter of fact it deserves a prize. So next time you see a rap star promoting the life style in hip hop for entertainment don't deny him his Grammy. After all, they are sending the same message to kids. It's for entertainment.
And no there is not such thing as an inappropriate costume based on the outfit or the location. It's just Halloween; a costume. But, don't worry though Conservative values will come back from the holiday they are on when someone dresses like a Nazi, a story comes on about how costumes are going from "the scarier the better" to "the sexier the better," or a girl is asked to remove her Madonna cone breasts at a school Halloween party. ( Figures they didn't get the same lighten up memo from Stevie Wonder ; When it's Halloween, the saying that there is a time and a place for everything , even costume choice or glorification, does not apply. )
Posted by: świece się | November 8, 2007 5:00 PM
This is why Congress' approval rating is so dismal. They can't pass comprehensive immigration reform, but they can waste our tax dollars reviewing Halloween parties. Give me a break. They should judge Myers on her record for the past two years, not her reaction to some knucklehead in a costume. Half of congrees wants to forgive illegal immigrants with amnesty, but not Myers? DC Politics is shameful.
Posted by: CW | November 9, 2007 7:41 AM
Her behavior in allowing the person to attend the party (who should have been sent home and brought up on internal disciplinary charges IMMEDIATELY for creating a hostile work environmen) was bad enough.
But that she gave this person a PRIZE endorsed his racist blackface portrayal of minorities as criminals.
Both Myers and the costume-wearer should be fired. She certainly shouldn't be confirmed. If Bush had one decent bone in his body, he'd ask her to withdraw her nomination, or he'd withdraw it for her.
Posted by: Ankhorite | November 9, 2007 2:07 PM