Chuck Schumer Asks White House to Make NYPD's Ray Kelly Secretary of DHS

CBS

In the minds of people who think about these things, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly has been a contender for DHS secretary since Pres. Obama was first elected. Today, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) added his voice to the chorus when he called Obama's chief of staff and asked the White House to consider making Kelly a successor to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, who announced today that she's resigning. The New York Observer reports: 

Mr. Schumer personally made a call to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to suggest Mr. Kelly's for the job, according to a statement released by his office this afternoon.

"The Department of Homeland Security is one of the most important agencies in the federal government," Mr. Schumer said. "It's leader needs to be someone who knows law enforcement, understands anti-terrorism efforts, and is a top-notch administrator, and at the NYPD, Ray Kelly has proven that he excels in all three."

"There is no doubt Ray Kelly would be a great DHS Secretary, and I have urged the White House to very seriously consider his candidacy," he added. "While it would be New York's loss, Commissioner Kelly's appointment as the head of DHS would be a great boon for the entire country.  Janet Napolitano has done an outstanding job, and if I had to give her a grade on her tenure, it would be 'A+'.  We need someone just as good who can fill her shoes."

The NYPD's press office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but earlier today, Mr. Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a statement praising Ms. Napolitano's tenure.

"Secretary Napolitano never lost sight of the fact that New York City was on the top of the terrorist target list and acted accordingly in funding important initiatives, including Securing the Cities," Mr. Kelly said. "She performed a great public service not only for New York City but for the nation at large."

It's difficult to imagine the Senate blocking Kelly's nomination; under his supervision, the NYPD has been a very eager partner in D.C.'s War on Terror (ocassionally too eager, according to the FBI), and I can't recall any senators (though I may be missing some) objecting to stop-and-frisk. Opposing Kelly's appointment would be a great opportunity for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to make more Americans aware of the NYPD's disregard for civil liberty. 

Comments

[MJGreen]

Why has anyone ever cared what Chuck Schumer has to say about anything?

[tarran]

One of the more disturbing moments in the past year was when an old friend from high-school decided to post a facebook update on the day of the last election.

He gushed over the fact the used the same voting booth as Chuck Schumer, entering it right after the senator had vacated it. The totemism of the progtards is absolutely amazing.

[Episiarch]

I've said it many times: they are flat-out animists.

[tarran]

He got really pissed and blocked me on facebook on the day of the Newtown massacre after a hysterically funny exchange where he started by accusing gun owners of having the blood of those children on their hands.

He really didn't want to concede that there was any justification whatsoever for anyone not employed by the govt owning a gun, ever, and this refusal to grant any ground whatsoever quickly put him in a very absurd position of arguing against gay marriage if gays ever engaged in domestic violence. At that point he started nuked the thread and blocked me.

What I found particularly fascinating about the exchange, was that my interlocutors world-view required them to deny any possibility that I wasn't evil. Having called me a baby murderer, they cluelessly complained that I lowered the tone of the discussion by exasperatedly pointing out that according to their rationales they should be against gay marriage (because it would result in fewer children being born because of the gays who choose male lovers rather than female ones to marry - it was a stupid argument but exactly parallel to their major anti-gun argument).

Their objective, technocratic, "scientific" approach had to show that their emotional conclusions were right, and when that same approach kicked out policies they disagreed with, they couldn't cope. They could neither reject the "science" for producing an unacceptable result nor accept the unpleasant result as a price of their belief system. Blank-out.

[Episiarch]

Being incredibly irrational and solely emotion-based can lead to some tough moments for these types of morons. Which makes me laugh.

[tarran]

Not to mention the projection.

One of the more angry guys complained fearing having him and his children shot by an angry gun-owner if angry guy cut him off accidentally while turning into a school parking lot.

Not wanting to lower the tone of the conversation, I didn't ask him if getting cut off at the school parking lot sent him into a murderous rage. Because you could totally tell that being frustrated sent him into a towering rage.

[MJGreen]

Christ. I mean, Schumer is such a sleazeball. Just as I can't see how anyone could find Hillary warm, I cannot imagine how anyone could look at Schumer and not be creeped out.

Blech, I have a friend-of-a-friend that works a bit in NYC politics. She's always acting like a fangirl for the politician of the day.

[Hugh Akston]

Stop n' Frisk: Coming soon to an everything near you!

[sarcasmic]

That's not far from the truth.

[Bardas Phocas]

Stop n' Frisk - not just for Black people anymore.

[Adam.]

Stop n' Frisk - coming soon for black people nationwide!

[Calidissident]

I don't know if it happens everywhere, but it definitely doesn't just happen in New York, although it's almost surely most common and most openly embraced by politicians there.

[JW]

Stop n' Frisk

This will be updated to Stop n' Drone.

[timbo]

Chuck Schumer looks like the creepiest used car salesmen ever. Why has no one busted this guy for some serious crookery or sex scandal yet?
Do we really need any more pigs to have power?

[Robert]

I don't think he looks creepy at all. Waxman, by contrast, looks...bizarre.

[JMos]

Does this mean that the DHS will change its attitude towards racial profiling?

[Mad Scientist]

Janet Napolitano has done an outstanding job, and if I had to give her a grade on her tenure, it would be 'A+'.

Jackass.

[Anomalous]

Whatever Schumer is for, I'm against.

[Spartacus]

"It's leader needs to be someone who knows law enforcement, understands anti-terrorism efforts, cares nothing for constitutional rights, and is a top-notch administrator, and at the NYPD, Ray Kelly has proven that he excels in all threefour."

[Knarf Yenrab (prev. An0nB0t)]

Janet Napolitano has done an outstanding job, and if I had to give her a grade on her tenure, it would be 'A+'. We need someone just as good who can fill her shoes.

Oh, you! Schumer and Napolitano would look very good hanging from the roof of a DC gas station, Benito-style.

[sarcasmic]

I guess Hermann G?ring is unavailable.

[sarcasmic]

Hermann G?ring must be unavailable. And fuck you 3'o'clock squirrels.

[A Serious Man]

How about Cobra Commander? He looks like he can get the job done.

[Brandon]

What? That incompetent fuck couldn't do anything right.

[Adam.]

I think that's a feature

[Brett L]

He made his much more powerful successor.

[Spoonman.]

Hopefully Paul and maybe Cruz will attack this guy and really force Democrats to defend racial profiling in a hilarious reversal.

[A Serious Man]

Opposing Kelly's appointment would be a great opportunity for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to make more Americans aware of the NYPD's disregard for civil liberty.

Headline: Racist Neo-Confederate Senator Rand Paul Attacks DHS Nominee Kelly Over Racial Profiling.

[Loki]

Headline: Racist Neo-Confederate Senator Rand Paul Attacks DHS Nominee Kelly Over Racial Profiling in Blatant Case of Hypocritical Pandering.

Because anytime someone doesn't conform to the racist neo-confederate conservative strawman in lib-tards imaginations, it can only be because they're pandering. Not because the narrative is false. Nosiree.

[SugerFree]

Chuck Shumer is my hero, because like myself, he believes in unlimited abortion for everyone on demand.

[Res Publica Americana]

I'd much rather see the Department of Homeland Security abolished and its leadership tried and imprisoned for treason.

[Spoonman.]

We'll add that to the contents of the SLD.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I don't know. He's going to want to keep tabs on Muslims more than on Tea Partiers. That's not going to sit well with what this administration sees as the biggest threat facing the nation.

[The Late P Brooks]

Obersturmfuhrer Ray Kelly

It has quite an awe inspiring tone, I think.

[Episiarch]

I was quite close to someone who worked with Ray Kelley in a non-cop capacity back when I lived in NYC, and I have it on first-hand authority that the guy is a real piece of work and an asshole. Though that's obvious since he was the head of the NYPD multiple times.

[Calidissident]

Until I read your last sentence, I was thinking to myself, "Do we really need any more proof this guy's an asshole?"

[The Late P Brooks]

I was quite close to someone who worked with Ray Kelley in a non-cop capacity back when I lived in NYC

What was the sheep's name? You can tell us.

[Episiarch]

Unfortunately, I really can't.

[tarran]

I can; her name was Flossie.

[Brett L]

No, dude. He means it wasn't a sheep, it was a ram.

[Greg]

No names, it just makes it harder when dinner becomes more important than pleasure.

[Cdr Lytton]

Can't have a police state without the police.

[Brett L]

Well, if Chuck's for him, I'm agin' him. I'm pretty sure I'll be safe on that line of reasoning.

[AlgerHiss]

Ray Kelly's nose has the brown smear and stench of Bloomberg's bung hole.

Putting this little jackwad into any position of power over the entire country is one more reason to laugh at that "?land of the free and home of the brave" twaddle.

This country is really becoming a joke.

[UnCivilServant]

It would only be a joke to me if I didn't live here. Stuck here, it's a tragedy.

[Mongo]

Thanks a lot, GWBush, for your DHS present to the people.

And a big 'thanks' to Bush's chickenshit supporters too -- here's hoping that a TSA agent's thick, KFC-greased finger tears your daughter's perineum in tha checkout line.

[The Last American Hero]

And don't forget a big thanks to Obama and the Team Blue members of Congress who had a chance to stand up for our civil liberties but decided that isn't really a priority.

[Mongo]

I thought I had that covered with 'Bush's chickenshit supporters.'

[Seriously?]

fuck.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

"The Department of Homeland Security is one of the most important agencies in the federal government,"

Paging barfman.

Oops, too late; BARF!

... Hobbit

[Russell]

I'd feel a lot more secure if they put rising NSA ombudsman Edward Snowden in charge.