Yesterday passages from former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge's book "The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege...and How We Can Be Safe Again," were given to the press and these excerpts indicated that Tom Ridge felt that he was pressured by the Bush Administration to raise the terror threat level from Elevated to High during the President's re-election campaign against Sen. John Kerry. The passage from the book reads as such,
[Tom Ridge] waspushed to raise the security alert on the eve of President Bush's re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over.
On August 1st, 2004 the terror threat level was raised from Elevated to High and President Bush quickly closed down the six point lead John Kerry earned from the Democratic Convention to a statistical tie. (President Bush has 45% and Senator John Kerry had 46% of popular support according to most polls.)
From most accounts Tom Ridge appears to be a very straight up and respectable public servant, and I feel that when the Executive Branch attempts and succeeds in turning your entire organization, the Department of Homeland Security, into a mere pawn to aid them in their re-election campaign instead what it was intended for, protecting American citizens, you may want to resign. However, resigning should not be enough and detailing the actions in book does not even come close. These are facts that the public needs to know once they happen and not five years later.
I am getting the feeling that the Bush Administration is going to be the most published administration in American history, since every person associated with it is writing a book about it. Each book will explain how the administration did something immoral, scandalous or displayed total incompetence, yet will totally absolve the writer of almost all wrong doing. They should all be categorized in the "Rose Tinted Glasses" section of your local library or bookseller. The problem with these books is not the information or the perspective, but the format. Why wait to write a book, so that you can tell us information we need to know immediately?
Tom Ridge did resign from the Department of Homeland Security, but he did so after President Bush had secured re-election. I would have appreciated it much more if he had resigned his job on August 1st, so that he could have better served the American people by proclaiming to the rafters the immoral acts of the Bush Administration. Instead I get to read a book that comes out September 1st, that details the horrible practices of five years ago that will also take my attention away from pressing issues of the day. Additionally, the book will let me know how great and competent Tom Ridge is, and how he was helpless to stop the Bush Administration. Sounds like a great read.
Frankly, based on the title of the book it makes you question as to who we were under siege against. Was it an internal or external threat we needed to fear the most? Additionally, considering that Tom Ridge sat back and watched many of the Bush outrages occur, only to resign after they had done their damage, and then grace us with a book five years later, I am not sure if he would be a proper person to instruct as to how we could prevent these acts. I think Steven Seagal would be a better guide. At least in Under Siege he defeated all the bad guys.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 1:18PM 
This is a real book, and it is currently for sale. You can buy it at Amazon right now for less than $20.
