The Unteachable Jane Napolitano

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has taken the position that U. S. security procedures successfully prevented tragedy in the attempted bombing of NWA 253. According to the Secretary, describing her security apparatus,

So the system has worked really very, very smoothly over the course of the past several days.

In the real world, less framed by wishful thinking, self-delusion and political spin, nothing worked.

The fanatical Muslim terrorist was on a list of terrorists. He was banned from entry to Great Britain. He reportedly had no passport. He had recently spent time in Yemen, currently a real center of gravity for al-Qaeda (and not much else). He was traveling across three continents but had no luggage.

Still, he had been awarded a multi-year visa to enter the U. S. at will, sort of a most trusted traveler permit. He was not excluded from the flight. He was not searched.

The improvements that Secretary Napolitano has made to our security system in light of the recent success? She's

• Banned restroom visits within one hour of arrival.
• Forbidden the use of pillows or blankets.
• Ordered passengers to sit still in their seats, without computers, PDAs, magazines or electronic toys.

Most troubling: She's outlawed any attempts at passenger intervention such as that which saved NWA 253, prevented Richard Reid from detonating his shoe bombs on American Airlines 63 or kept United 93 from crashing into the White House. Now, rising from your seat is a federal offense.

It's not that the Obama team are the stupidest gang to ever put their hands on the federal controls. No, they're really not that dumb.

It's the arrogance. And with that level of arrogance, they can't learn. Janet Napolitano, truly believing that her system worked, is incapable of learning from its mistakes. She will not change. She will not demand the changes that are necessary if we are to avoid similar successes in the future.

She must go. If we're to have any hope of safety while flying in the years to come, she must go.

President Obama has chosen his team. Let's hope they don't kill us all.