Score One for Obama on National Security
Posted May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am in Protect America 
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The Associated Press reports:
President Barack Obama announced Tuesday he is combining White House staffs dealing with international and homeland security, predicting the change will make Americans safer.
Obama also is creating a new office intended to communicate more effectively with other countries about U.S. security policy.
Heritage fellows Jena Baker McNeill and James Jay Carafano wrote on April 9:
President Obama should fold the HSC into the NSC. Doing so would improve interagency policy planning and eliminate gaps between efforts to address transnational security threats at home and overseas.
Heritage first made the case for the merger in our September 18, 2008, report Homeland Security 3.0: Building a National Enterprise to Keep America Safe, Free, and Prosperous.
The details of the merger still deserve scrutiny though. McNeill and Carafano warn:
The White House should also demonstrate prudence and restraint in expanding the authority and responsibility of the President’s staff. The NSC should remain focused on its primary task: Policy coordination and providing staff advice to the President. The Administration should resist the effort to “operationalize” the White House by expanding its capacity to conduct crisis management and planning day-to-day operations.
Usurping the roles and responsibilities of federal agencies will only complicate the process of governing, obfuscate effective congressional oversight, blur lines of authority and responsibility, and increasingly bog the White House down in the day-to-day affairs of managing homeland security.
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16 Responses to “Score One for Obama on National Security”
Spiritof76, New Hampshire on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
This is like rearranging deck chairs in the Titanic. Fundamentally, the Obama policies are appeasement at best and anti-American at worst. So, what communication and streamlining do we need to make a shift in the basic ruinous policy being pursued by the president?
N.Korea and Iran clearly understand that they are in the driver’s seat. It won’t be long before we experience some calamity due to our foreign policy approved by EU and the UN. Obama administration will certainly be there to provide enough stretchers to carry the wounded and the dead.
Conservative, Vermont on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
In order to improve National Security, we need Dick Cheney in jail.
Grace, Florida on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
It seems to me Obama just keeps changing things and nothing ever really gets accomplished. I think it’s all a smokescreen for his and his administration’s inability to govern properly and his inexperience. I know he’s all about trying new things but when do we see if anything is working? As far as I can tell – things just get worse daily – for me it’s like waiting for the other shoe to fall.
Jim, Evensville Tennessee on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Everything he does if either for appearance sake or driven by Political payback motives.
He is a talking head using someone else’s words.
I have not seen any substance from this administration.
Ohio police officers will be on the clock, that ended plus more getting laid off. Same with the Caterpillar people.
He is a great community organizer………
Arizonan on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
I sure hope that he doesn’t send Nappy back to AZ!
Normca on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Sounds like an improvement, however it will turn out to be an Obama faint. When the culture is that America is to blame, the combining will not improve security.
JAB, Spring Lake, Michigan on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Obama may hand the whole idea over to Fancy Nancy,it may then become unrecognizable.
(i.e) The original three page Paulson stimulous bill that grew to 400+ pages of PORK.
Which i believe is stored away in a “Lock Box” for future use. What?
Gerald H. Treffinger Pasadena ,Md. 21122 on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
I don’t see any point in commenting as you continually write back”it seems you already said that”.GHT
Ross writes, Florida on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
twister in Hollywood on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Conservative and Vermont is an oxymoron.
David E Aldridge, Dayton, OH on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
I think the general consensus of opinion seems to be that this administration is a disaster just waiting to happen. Given a soft approach by Queen Hillary, one of them will do something stupid(N.Korea/Iran). It’s not a matter anymore of if, it is now a matter of who and when. We just don’t learn from history it seems. This President is a disaster by himself, how he can even consider what’s her name (Sontomayor) (sp)as a Supreme Court Justice? Pay back time for the Latino vote!
Dennis A. Social Circle Ga. on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Oh well,I wonder what kind of political ahy he will try to make out of this move. You can look back over his “illustrous career” ans see that he only does things that benefit him one way or the other.
Douglas W Smith on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
No matter what he does, we are all supposed to go uuuuuuh, ahhhhhhh, wow, what a wonderful idea. The reality is that he nor the rest of his administration could find their own liberal butts if you placed their hands on their hips. This administration and it’s illustrious, BS artist leader who speaks in platitudes, but provides absolutely no substance, past, present or future, will take this nation down the path of ruin if the citizens of this great nation don’t soon wake up from their fairy tale dream of this man. Enough is enough people. Wake and smell the coffee of reality.
B,F Wmspt, PA on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
It’s painfully obvious that none of these clowns have read a history book about the 1930’s. Appeasement does not work and only emboldens our enemys to greater misdeeds. I’m waiting for someone in the new administration to claim “peace in our time” ala Neville Chamberlain. All while North Korean tanks roll across the DMZ and Teliviv becomes a radioactive crater.
Richard Bulgarelli on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
The government inter-agency security still isn’t very good since Jamie Gurelick’s famous wall (Bill Clinton administration). How can we expect the international security to get any better if the national security is still not as good as it should be.
Normca on May 27th, 2009 at 10:35am said:
Is a Conservative Vermont like a Collins in Maine ? He belongs in jail; for what not being politically correct? Or just speaking out ? You libs think you have the franchise on shredding the constitution by interfering in private business. Hey Conservative Vermont – who are you really ?