by the Way . . .

Julie is no Brownie, and Congress can just quit carping about the experience thing. Those unfair comparisons ignore Ms. Myers superior connections. President Bush bypassed the Senate confirmation process with the recess appointment of the lawyer, 36, as the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE is part of Homeland Security, where her husband (fiancé at the time of nomination) John Wood is Chernoff's chief of staff. Chernoff, the Homeland Security chief, praised her appointment, so it must have been OK with John too. That, and the fact that she is the niece of General Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and in her previous post was Bush's special assistant for personnel, certainly sets her apart from Brownie, who was, after all, only the college roommate of his predecessor at FEMA, and had no White House experience.

Bush's end run on Congress was turnabout as fair play, since Congress tried to outfox him by adding to the position a statutory requirement of 5 years management experience. It is highly unusual to require any relevant experience for senior government positions, and so that was probably just a knee jerk reaction to Katrina and/or the threats of terrorism. Keeping terrorists out, or watching them if they get in, is a primary responsibility of ICE. Whatever. Ms. Myers is a lawyer and has tried criminal cases and has held various federal positions over the last four years. At Commerce she was responsible for export controls, so you would think if you can keep it from going out you can keep it from coming in.

Besides, Bush should be able to appoint people he knows, whether from his dad's old administration, baseball, the Texas legislature, or the Women of the White House. You'd rather she be on the Supreme Court?

Special note: Betsy Myers (no relation) was the first director of the White House Womens' Office.