Bryson Crash Reveals Threat of Headless Government

Hugh Pickens writes "According to Business Week, the traffic accident that left U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson unconscious and alone in his bashed-up Lexus on June 9 raises questions about why the 10th official in line to succeed the president was left so vulnerable. It also highlights potential gaps in security for senior U.S. government officials, who receive varying levels of protection. 'They lost track of him,' says James Carafano, a terrorism scholar at the Heritage Foundation. 'Post 9/11, that's a bit of a head scratcher.' Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who are high in the line of succession and have national-security responsibilities, are provided protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but other federal officials, even in cabinet-level positions or other top posts, often travel without the security details that even a big-city mayor or state governor would be provided. Threats to cabinet-level officials aren't overblown, says Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who has urged that the government revamp its succession plans and says a nuclear bomb hidden in a suitcase detonated in Washington could leave a headless government. 'The lack of interest in continuity may stem from the same reasons some smart people refuse to create wills, even though failure to do so leaves behind horrific messes for their loved ones,' writes Ornstein. 'Yet the threat is real. Our leaders' failure to establish plans to ensure that our Constitution survives is irresponsible.'"

Comments

Really 10th in line?

[DarkOx]

Clearly we narrowly escaped what would have been a disaster for our entire nation. Hyperbole much? Gee wiz

Re:Really 10th in line?

[careysub]

the lines that the Republicans tow?

That would be toe, as in lining up the ends of your feet with a chosen line.

He is coining a new figure of speech - we imagine legions of Republicans faithfully towing weighty barges of ideology.

Quote apt, really.

Re:lose track of all of them

[Mitchell314]

Because we're supposed to be a civilized nation that doesn't kill people for difference of political opinion?

Not a problem

[DoofusOfDeath]

Congress already lacks brains, ears, eyes, hearts, guts, and balls.

I don't see how being headless would change much.

Re:lose track of all of them

[Alex Belits]

civilized nation that doesn't kill people for difference of political opinion

lol

Re:Why would anyone care?

[lightknight]

On behalf of the American people, if our congressmen are stupid enough to get us into a conflict whereby it would be necessary to swear in someone a dozen people down from the President, then they deserve to burn. Why? Because any conflict that large will have the majority of the US population dead or near death, and Americans don't believe in protecting / rewarding politicians who get us killed.

Putting the instigators in special bunkers, while the innocent have to fend for themselves against nuclear / biological / chemical weapons...it kind of sends the wrong message.