Political 'fluff' masks serious issues.

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SECURITY COVERAGE


Political fluff masks serious issues

JOHN ATCHESON


It's practically raining mea culpas from the press.

But even as they apologize for ignoring evidence that the administration deceived us in the run-up to the Iraqi war, their headlines are dominated by Swift boat pseudo news, gay marriage and stem cell research while they relegate to Page A14 warnings from a chorus of serious and credible people trying to tell us of a clear and present danger.

Another day dominated by non-news; another day closer to the unthinkable happening; another day closer to the press's next mea culpa.

Because once again, the press is getting spun like yarn by the conservative spin machine.

And the real news is pretty scary. Here are some of the issues playing out beneath the spin-meister's banner headlines.

While most Americans know there's a controversy over Sen. John Kerry's war record, few know there are about 25,000 shipping containers entering U.S. ports every day and that about 23,750 of them are not inspected. Nor do they know that President Bush cut port security grants to $46 million, 63 percent less than last year. According to Coast Guard estimates, the Bush budget will leave us $500 million shy of what's needed next year to protect our ports.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/news/opinion/9580058.htm

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1. Kerry has spoken to this repeatedly. It's part of John's stump speech

Bush is Letting Many Homeland Security Needs Fall Through the Cracks. More than two years after the 9/11 attacks, serious gaps exist in the Bush administration’s attempts to defend America against terrorism:

· Emergency Response to Public Health Threats: The Department of Homeland Security is cutting by 80 percent ($40 million) funds for its program to ready local emergency responses to public health crises. The program, the Metropolitan Medical Response System run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, plays a “significant role in mass casualty planning.”

· Cargo Containers: Only 2% of the 7 million cargo containers arriving at the nation’s 361 commercial ports each year are screened.

· Airline Screeners: The Transportation Security Administration’s airport screening force will be cut by 6,000 screeners, about 11%, because GOP says TSA “over hired.”

· Chemical Plants: The Government Accounting Office report found that even though US chemical facilities were “attractive targets for terrorists,” there was no government oversight to assure that plants are safe from terrorist attack. In addition, Bush has declined to push for accountability from chemical companies. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the EPA “backed down” from using its regulatory power to oversee plant security “after the industry balked.”

· Police Equipment: The non-partisan Council on Foreign Relations criticized homeland security preparedness in a 2003 report, stating, “Many police departments lack adequate detection and personal protective equipment and training for responding to chemical, biological, or radiological incidents.”

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0303b.html
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August 7, 2004
Kerry-Edwards Campaign Response to Bush Radio Address
For Immediate Release

Washington, DC - Kerry-Edwards Campaign Spokesperson Chad Clanton released the following statement today in response to the President’s Radio Address:

“George W. Bush keeps telling us 'we've turned the corner.' But yesterday's anemic job growth numbers proved otherwise. Now he's telling us we're turning the corner on homeland security, but we have so much more to do to protect our ports, our rails and our chemical plants. America can do better.”

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0807a.html
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May 26, 2004
Kerry Statement on Homeland Security and New Terror Warnings
For Immediate Release

Seattle, WA - Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry made the following statement on homeland security and the new terror warnings today while speaking in Seattle, WA:

“Yesterday we were again reminded that we do live in dangerous times. For the first time since Christmas, the administration has warned us about the possibility of terrorist attacks in our nation. I know that every American who watched the news last night or picked up the paper this morning was struck by the seriousness and the concern coming from this administration.

“The key word is when. Every administration official since September 11th has said to us that it is not a question of if - it is a question of when. And if it is a question of when, then my question – and the question of most Americans is - why are we cutting COPS programs in the United States of America? Why is it that in our ports all across this country, we still don’t have the inspection of containers that are coming into our nation? Why is it that our trains and other forms of transportation do not have the protections that we know would make us safer? Why is it that chemical plants and nuclear facilities still don’t have the plans and protections in place that are necessary? We deserve a President of the United States who doesn’t make homeland security a photo opportunity and the rhetoric of a campaign. We deserve a President who makes America safer.”

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0526d.html