Norm Mineta has been Transportation Secretary since early this year. Prior to that, he was on the House Transportation Committee for 21 years, and was Chairman of that committee for the last 8 years. I won't resort to using terms like idiot or moron but put it this way-whatever you think of the current airport security system-if you like it or if you think it's a joke-lay the thanks or blame in large part at Norm Mineta's doorstep.

The current law was in limbo for weeks while Republicans argued against having government employees do the screening, while Democrats (and all 100 Senators) said they should. I did not see anything from Moneta or his department during this time that implementation would be a problem.

I think the people whose fingerprints are all over what happened on Sept 11-from Trnasportation to Intelligence to Terrorist Investigations should all be rapidly debriefed, then replaced. Will the replacements do better? I don't know but they can't do much worse and at least we'll avoid the excuses.