AP:Thompson Resigning From Bush Cabinet

NWITIMES ^ | 12/3/04 | ap

[qam1]

WASHINGTON - Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson resigned Friday, The Associated Press learned, broadening an exodus that has emptied more than half of President Bush's Cabinet before he takes the oath of office for a second term.

Thompson submitted his resignation to Bush, and planned to announce his departure at a Friday afternoon news conference, said an official close to the former Wisconsin governor who asked not to be identified.

Mark McClellan, the government's Medicare chief and brother of White House press secretary Scott McClellan, is Thompson's likely successor, officials said.

Thompson's resignation brings to eight the number of members of Bush's 15-member Cabinet who have left.

News of Thompson's departure came not long after Bush introduced former police commissioner Bernard Kerik as Tom Ridge's successor to be secretary of homeland security. When Thompson's exit becomes official, eight of the 15 members of Bush's Cabinet will have departed.

Kerik is the steady former military man who helped New York get back on its feet after the Sept. 11 terror attack.

"Bernie Kerik is one of the most accomplished and effective leaders of law enforcement in America," Bush said.

Kerik said what he witnessed in the days after the attacks would be etched in his mind if he were confirmed to lead the department. "I know what is at stake," Kerik said.

"Both the memory of those courageous souls and the horrors I saw inflicted upon our proud nation will serve as permanent reminders of the awesome responsibility you place in my charge," he said.

Bush also lost his ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, who is retiring.

Friday's ceremony has become a ritual as Bush rounds out his Cabinet for his second term. He stood in the Roosevelt Room with Kerik, as the nominee's wife and some of their children looked on.

Joe Allbaugh, the former FEMA director who was mentioned as a candidate for the job, said Kerik will "be drinking water from a fire hose for quite a while, but I know he's up to the challenge."

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Kerik's boss in city government and later at a private consulting firm, told the Associated Press the former undercover detective will surprise many within the sprawling bureaucracy of homeland security.

"When you see him, he's a big strong guy and a black belt," said Giuliani. "What you get to know when you work with him is how smart he is ... how effective and sophisticated a manager he is."

Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said "there is no doubt that Bernie is a strong, no-nonsense manager who is intimately familiar with the homeland security mission."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said her panel would conduct confirmation hearings as swiftly as possible, calling Kerik "a strong candidate."

Samuel J. Plumieri, superindent of the Port Authority police, which lost 37 of its own on Sept. 11, said his department had worked closely with Kerik.

"We are confident that he will be able to aggressively deal with the nation's security interests," Plumieri said.

A military policeman in South Korea in the 1970s, Kerik's first anti-terrorism work was as a paid private security worker in Saudi Arabia. He joined the New York Police Department in 1986, first walking a beat in Times Square when it was still a haven for small-time hustlers.

He eventually was tapped to lead the city's corrections department, and was appointed police commissioner in 2000.

It was in that position that he became known to the rest of the country, supervising the NYPD's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, often at the side of then-mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Kerik helped rally a department that lost 23 members and became a steady presence for a population deeply shaken by the attacks.

Kerik inherits a new and sprawling bureaucracy. The creation of the department in 2003 combined 22 disparate federal agencies with more than 180,000 employees and a combined budget of $36 billion. The organization is still learning to work together and faces criticism over aspects from the coordination of finances to computer systems.

Danforth had been mentioned as a possible successor to Secretary of State Colin Powell, but Bush picked Condoleezza Rice.

[qam1]

Good Riddance to this UN loving RINO

Don't let the door hit you on your way out Tommy!

[zbigreddogz]

???

Get a grip. Thompson is fine.

Hope he's exploring a Senate run.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Tommy Thompson is a good man.

[ElRushbo]

"Good Riddance to this UN loving RINO "

Thompson is no more loving of the UN than anyone else in the Bush Administration. They all talk big but noone has the balls to actually think about leaving the UN. Bush talks big, but he has the UN involved with all sorts of projects in Iraq.

Thompson leaving is a great thing. Now he can run for senator against Kohl in Wisconsin. It would be a easy victory and another GOP pickup in the Senate. We need to shoot for 60

[bilhosty]

Tommy Thompson was a wonderful conservative Governor. Very effective on welfare reform and lowering taxes. I don't know what his position is on the UN but I know he plainly left the door open again to run for office in Wisconsin and will make a great Senator (hopefully) or Governor again.

[qam1]

Tommy Thompson was a wonderful conservative Governor. Very effective on welfare reform and lowering taxes.

Maybe, But as HHS he was your typical hypocritical Liberal

I don't know what his position is on the UN

He loved going along with the WHO with their/his war on obesity and tobacco

but I know he plainly left the door open again to run for office in Wisconsin and will make a great Senator (hopefully) or Governor again.

He should be put out to pasteur where he can munch on all the dorittoes and ring-dings he wants,

I hope Paul Ryan is your next Senator.

[RKB-AFG]

Tommy Thompson is a good man. He was great as governor and at HHS. Whoever, replaces him at HHS will not be as good. I thought he conducted a very good press conference and I enjoyed the fact that he "love politics" and "may run against" (i.e. Wisconsin Senate race).

Best wishes to Thompson.

[Loyal Buckeye]

The problem with appointing governors is that there is no way they want to serve more than 1 term.

They are used to being the head honcho and it makes little sense for them to move to Washington, D.C. and be in a subservient role for very long.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

What you say may be true in general, but in Thompson's case, he hated leaving Wisconsin (he's from a very small town in central Wisconsin - farm country, really) and he didn't get the position he wanted (Secretary of Transportation, I think).

I'm always amazed at the bashing he takes around here. He is a personal friend of my parents', and a truly sincere, humble public servant.

[bilhosty]

Maybe, But as HHS he was your typical hypocritical Liberal

Calling Tommy Thompson a liberal is ludicrous. I think the HHS should work to better the health of the people. since Tobacco and obesity are among the biggest health problems any Secretary of HHS worth his salt would help fight same. During his tenure of Government he lowered welfare rates and taxes and for Wisconsin or any other state that is pretty damn good. As far as my nest Senator, Paul Ryan would be fine. But, I already have Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson as my Senators.

[qam1]

Calling Tommy Thompson a liberal is ludicrous.

If the shoe fits...

See

Obesity in America, with Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Kelly Brownell, PhD.

Tommy Thompson’s Reign of Terror

U.S. Shocks with Promise to Back Anti-Smoking Pact (Tommy Thompson told journalists (WHO)) )

Tommy Thompson Floats New Tobacco Tax

I think the HHS should work to better the health of the people since Tobacco and obesity are among the biggest health problems any Secretary of HHS worth his salt would help fight same.

Working is one thing, Proposing new restrictive regulations, taxes and laws is not what Republicans do (Well at least not what they are suppose to do)

During his tenure of Government he lowered welfare rates and taxes and for Wisconsin or any other state that is pretty damn good.

Ariana Huffington & Terezza Heinz Kerry were Republicans once too

As far as my nest Senator, Paul Ryan would be fine. But, I already have Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson as my Senators.

Congrats, But Wisconsin can keep as governor I don't care bacause I don't live there, But we don't need any more weak RINOs like tubby Tommy in the Senate

[counterpunch]

Good Riddance to this UN loving RINO

Hell, maybe he's one of those FReepers who would have said the same thing if Kerry had defeated President Bush.

[bilhosty]

"The United Nations health agency predicts the number of people dying each year from cancer, cardiovascular disease and other conditions linked to smoking could exceed 10 million by 2020, with 70 percent of the victims in the developing world."

there you have it we make laws to fight terrorists why can't we make laws at least to discourage this odious habit, which incidentally kills a heck of a Lot more people then terrorism.

"The government claims a crisis of unpaid child support. Leading scholars have declared these claims to be everything from a "myth" to a "hoax."

I wold like to know who these leading scholars are! I don't believe it. I am sure there are more experts who would dispute that by quite a bit, then who would defend this statement. The welfare rolls were filled by mothers whose ex-husbands did not pay there share. There may be some men who have had the boom lowered on them unfairly and that should be responded to as well. But, using this as an excuse not to enforce the laws, or make the laws work, are ridiculous. If being a rhino means enforcing the obligation to pay child support, Then I am a rino too. Labeling a fine conservative like Tommy Thompson a rhino is absurd as well.

[Rain-maker]

RINO in Thompson's case means he's exiting as a "backstabbing pig of a human".

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson resigned Friday, warning of a potential global outbreak of the flu and health-related terror attacks. "For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do," he said.

[bilhosty]

RINO in Thompson's case means he's exiting as a "backstabbing pig of a human".

The possibilities of attack on our food system needs to be put before the American people so we can do something about it. It is not news to bin Laden's people as it has already been well reported and they surely know about it. Tommy Thompson was doing his job warning us of a possible huge catastrophe.

[Musket]

The possibilities of attack on our food system needs to be put before the American people so we can do something about it.

C'mon. Everybody knows this is a possibility. His announcement of it on his way out was tantamount to an invitation and completely unnecessary, IMHO.

[bilhosty]

"C'mon. Everybody knows this is a possibility"

If everybody knows it it is not a harm. We have publicized all kinds of threat possibilities from the use of dirty bombs, crashing through chemical plants in airplanes, setting off a bombs in boats in harbors, letting loose Small Pox germs, sniper shootings.We have brought up many scenarios and made them public. Were we inviting the terrorists on these too? Why is this any different?

[Loyal Buckeye]

My comment was intended to be negative toward T. Thompson. I was just trying to make the point that the governors are used to being managers who run the show on their own. In addition, when they go to Washington, D.C., they are not the head honcho plus they are being inconvenienced in that they are not in their home area.

Because of those reasons, I just think it's a lot to expect of anyone to ask an ex-gov. to go to Washington in a position such as that held by T.T. Could be wrong, though.