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snipowsky
11-30-04, 12:47 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has informed the White House and department staff that he has resigned, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

In an e-mail circulated to senior Homeland Security officials, Ridge praised the department as "an extraordinary organization that each day contributes to keeping America safe and free." He also said he was privileged to work with the department's 180,000 employees "who go to work every day dedicated to making our company better and more secure."

Government officials, speaking on grounds of anonymity because a formal announcement was pending, confirmed his resignation. A Washington news conference was scheduled for mid-afternoon.

In October 2001, Ridge became the nation's first White House homeland security adviser, leading a massive undertaking to rethink all aspects of security within the U.S. borders in the wake of the terror attacks of September 2001.

Congress subsequently passed legislation establishing the Homeland Security Department, merging 180,000 employees from 22 government agencies. Ridge became the department's first secretary in January 2003.

He has presided over six national "orange alerts" when the government boosted security out of concern that an attack may be coming. An attack in the United States never happened on his watch.

Ridge has said, however, that he believes an assault by the al-Qaida terrorist network was averted last summer during the Fourth of July holiday period, when intelligence reports indicated terrorists might be targeting international flights to attack the United States. Passenger manifests were scrutinized and flights were canceled.

Yet Ridge, a politician by nature, fought criticism leading up to the election from those who said he was using terror warnings to boost support for Bush. Ridge repeatedly said: "We don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security."

Ridge, 59, has privately expressed his interest in moving out of the time-consuming, stressful post. However, those who know him said his loyalty to Bush was always a factor to consider.

Ridge, who has spent most of his adult life in public service, came home from Vietnam, earned a law degree and went into private practice in Pennsylvania. He later served as an assistant district attorney and ran for Congress in 1982.

Ridge was re-elected five times. He became the Pennsylvania governor in 1995, leaving the state capital in October 2001 after the White House called.

http://hosted.ap.org/photos/N/NYET25011301816-small.jpg

http://www.ap.org

mrbsox
11-30-04, 12:52 PM
I'll take the job !!

"A HANDGUN IN EVERY POCKET"
can be my slogan.

hrscowboy
11-30-04, 01:06 PM
yep and a K-Bar in every boot...

jinelson
11-30-04, 01:15 PM
I dont know if he was an officer or an enlisted one though. Can anyone shed some light on this?

snipowsky
11-30-04, 02:49 PM
He looks like a freaking jarhead, I wouldn't doubt that!

yellowwing
11-30-04, 03:55 PM
From the Whitehouse.gov website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/ridgebio.html)
Born Aug. 26, 1945, in Pittsburgh's Steel Valley, Gov. Ridge was raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie. He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967.

After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor.

After returning to Pennsylvania, he earned his law degree and was in private practice before becoming assistant district attorney in Erie County. He was elected to Congress in 1982.

He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly re-elected six times.

I'm impressed! Answering the draft during law school. I wonder why he didn't go for a Commission.

Toby M
11-30-04, 05:35 PM
Too smart for that...(no offense to our officer members) Ha ha...

Sparrowhawk
11-30-04, 06:01 PM
he was too passive for that position.

We need someone that still has the desire for avenging 9-11, who is not afraid to go Lion hunting in the snow, who will stand up to politicians, and the news media and who will not run a politically correct homeland security system, who will protect our rights while doing all he can to destroy the lives of our enemies...

mrbsox
11-30-04, 09:41 PM
I'm tellin ya...
'A handgun in every pocket'. I like the 'K-bar in every boot' too.

When you board a plane, your gun goes into a locker by the cabin entrance, and you draw a 100,000 volt taser. You get your gun back when you drop off the taser.

I may have to infringe on your civil liberties just a bit though. When you go for a drivers license, to vote, file a law suit, etc..., I would require some identification, like say a BIRTH CERTIFICATE !!

Too bad I don't know G.W. :banana: