by Frank James
Darn those open mikes. The latest politician to learn that a mike must always be assumed to be live is Pennsylvania's very garrulous Gov. Ed Rendell who by now has probably placed a call to fellow Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano to apologize for a comment that could hurt a sensitive person's feelings.
As the Associated Press reports:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was picked up on an open microphone saying Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is a perfect fit for Homeland Security secretary because she "has no family."
Rendell made the comment Tuesday while attending a meeting of the National Governors Association in Philadelphia that featured President-elect Barack Obama.
Rendell says Napolitano is "perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it."
Napolitano has never been married and has no children. Her spokeswoman, Jeanine L'Ecuyer, didn't immediately return phone messages seeking comment.
Rendell press secretary Chuck Ardo says Rendell meant no disrespect to Napolitano and would have made the same comment if the candidate was a man.
(Rendell photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Comments
He must have been joking>
Posted by: Inky | December 3, 2008 2:44 PM
Change the name of the agency. "Homeland" reeks of fascism. Just get the Nazi out of America. Bush didn't call it 'National Security' or 'American Security' because he was afraid to offend his friends in other nations--the friends he has sold America to. There has been no stated Obama-desired change that I have seen yet-- no statement I can believe in yet. Why is Obama not leaking info re any changes to the Bush eight years of fascism and Anti-American actions? Other things re the Obama cabnet, and future term desires have been leaked. And, re Obama's campaign promises: The future supporters Obama may think he will acquire from possibly renegging on his campaign promises would be less than those supporters who worked and voted to put him in office. One American here is looking for the reality of his promises. This nation can't afford for Obama to do a 180 on what he promised. We can't even afford for him to do a 90. We are too frayed and tattered after the abuse and depletion of the Bush/Cheney years. Obama, having been a senator, must be walking a precarious line between 'change' and what he and his senator friends have voted for and supported in the past. They all need to come clean before they start their terms.
Posted by: Vivian | December 3, 2008 10:09 PM
Some people...rather than make a mistake just for the sake of "being married' ... stay single instead of having a failed marriage, custody complications, alimony, etc. And maybe...just MAYBE...they're actually HAPPY!!!! Who is this person or anyone else for that matter to knock someone and say they 'have no life' just because they don't fit into the mold HE thinks they should???
Posted by: Dawson | December 3, 2008 11:06 PM
Beware of the open mike!. I'm sitting back to see how many times this story appears throughout the nations newspapers and the major networks.My money says not a chance.
Posted by: Paul | December 4, 2008 9:55 AM
This agency is far too big and needs to be broken down into functional units if there is ever any hope of managing it.
Judge Posner I believe likened it to a log floating downriver, and the efforts of "management" to oversee and guide its course, to the movements of ants on that log.
Will Obama really be able to rein in its excesses? Trim it down, make it functional?
That will be a test.
Meanwhile, Rendell seems to have a case of Summeritis.
Making cracks about women.
Ed, did you mean, women who do "have a life" can't run an agency?
Or is your point that Chertoff does not have a life? or, if he does, he's not able to run this particular agency?
Or....
Interestingly, Obama has had very few "open mike" embarrassments.
No four letter words.
A "bitter" moment.
And that one where he forgot to say "alleged" and it came out "my muslim background".
And the slip of the tongue, I've visited 57 states rather than 47 states.
That's it so far.
Posted by: ornery | December 5, 2008 6:19 AM