Janet Napolitano Resigning From DHS. Will NYPD's Ray Kelly Replace Her?
Department of Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano announced this morning that she'll be stepping down from the DHS (reportedly in September). Her next job will likely be president of the University of California.
Here's Napolitano's resignation statement:
For more than four years I have had the privilege of serving President Obama and his Administration as the Secretary of Homeland Security. The opportunity to work with the dedicated men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, who serve on the frontlines of our nation's efforts to protect our communities and families from harm, has been the highlight of my professional career. We have worked together to minimize threats of all kinds to the American public. The Department has improved the safety of travelers; implemented smart steps that make our immigration system more fair and focused while deploying record resources to protect our nation's borders; worked with states to build resiliency and make our nation's emergency and disaster response capabilities more robust; and partnered with the private sector to improve our cybersecurity. After four plus years of focusing on these challenges, I will be nominated as the next President of the University of California to play a role in educating our nation's next generation of leaders. I thank President Obama for the chance to serve our nation during this important chapter in our history, and I know the Department of Homeland Security will continue to perform its important duties with the honor and focus that the American public expects.
Shortly after the news broke, NBC's Chuck Todd tweeted, "Most interesting name I've heard already re: Napolitano replacement? NYPD's Ray Kelly." Journalist Ryan Devereux quickly pointed out that palace residents have been whispering Kelly's name for a few years now. National security insiders floated Kelly back in 2008; and National Journal suggested him (among others) as a successor to Napolitano last November.
While it's really only chatter at this point, it's not impossible that we could have the guy in charge of stop-and-frisk running the TSA.
