Something About the Way You Taste Makes Me Want to Clear My Throat

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff was in town today, and he spent some time with the Chicago Tribune editorial board. As is the wont of some journalists (although it seems to be fewer and fewer, these days), they quickly turned around and reported on what he told them.

Chertoff, it seems, feels that there's a lot to be worried about. The Trib says he provided "an unusually blunt and frank assessment of America's terror threat level." As the top guy at Homeland Security, Chertoff must be privy to all kinds of intelligence and analysis about terror--who's planning what, when and where things could possibly happen--so if he's unusually blunt about a threat, you want to pay attention. And even with the sensitive material he has at his disposal, he was happy to reveal what brought him to this expectation. He's got a "gut feeling" (got a gut feeling, feeling).

I suppose that we should feel glad that he's open enough to share his innermost intuition with us, but shouldn't we expect a bit more? A little something firmer than "Summertime seems to be appealing to" al Qaeda?

One thing he seems to have plenty of, though, is premature blame.

Chertoff said . . . that the recent failure of Congress to pass an immigration bill has negative repercussions for homeland security. . . .

Resistance has built as well, he said, from business and travel interests blocking his proposals to tighten security at the borders - especially at the crossings with Canada.

In the end, Chertoff argued, Americans must soon decide between enduring greater inconvenience and costs or allowing terrorists easier access to the borders. He warned against increasing resistence [sic] to security measures based on comfort and self-centered motives.

That's right, according to the Trib, Chertoff is implying that concern over the infringement of constitutional right is "based on comfort and self-centered motives."

The big question for now, however, is whether Chertoff's gut is reason enough for the Prez to back away from his traditional August sojourn in the brush-infested wilds of central Texas. We'll be keeping an eye on that.