Weakening America's security & tunnel vision

The fear-monger-in-chief keeps asking if we're all still scared enough....

Link to today's AP story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090521/ap_on_go_ot/us_cheney_4

Quick commentary:

-- Per 9/11/01 itself (and not the subsequent Bush/Cheney misdirected over-reaction), NO rational person underestimates the requirement for continued vigilance re global terrorism. No political party has a monopoly on/about diligence any longer. Homeland security/combating terrorism are not merely partisan issues. Former and current officials should always attempt to work TOGETHER toward the (ongoing) challenges. Former and current leaders trading half- (or unverifiable-) truths and personal opinions in the "media".... WEAKENS America's effort. (Fanning flames: News site-viewer "votes" about who is "right" (about this) are simplistic fun for some. But the vote that counts took place in November, 2008. It wasn't that close.)

-- Bush administration tunnel vision about global terrorist threats (and how to deal them ) badly hurt the United States (and the world) in other essential aspects of governance. E.g., management and oversight of key portions of the U.S. economy, cohesive energy policy, environmental protections, etc. The current president now has much to lead repairs upon as a result; more than most have ever faced in a first year.

-- And from the incredible Mr. Cheney today, re combating global terrorism: "Half measures keep you half exposed." Oh....As in: Only half-protecting U.S. ports? Not initially directing an appropriate share of anti-terrorism funding to vulnerable, large U.S. cities? Unilaterally attacking non-9/11-involved Iraq, leaving a half-staffed/funded effort for Afghanistan/Pakistan (and U.S. homeland security)? Virtually "turning over the keys" to the U.S. economy to Wall Street in the meantime, on your "watch"? A half-assed, non-diversified approach to U.S. energy security? Etc., etc.

From a newly-loquacious "yapper": An amazingly hubristic -- and ironic -- publicly-uttered sentence.