GIULIANI WON'T BE TRUMP'S ATTORNEY GENERAL (CHRISTIE, SANTORUM, SESSIONS??)

GIULIANI WON'T BE TRUMP'S ATTORNEY GENERAL:

WILL IT BE CHRISTIE, SANTORUM OR SESSIONS??


Sources: Fox News, CNN, YouTube


****** Rudy Giuliani out of contention for Cabinet


Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has removed his name from consideration for a position in President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet, the transition team announced Friday.

Giuliani, who is currently a vice chairman on the presidential transition team, had been rumored to be in consideration for secretary of state.

"My desire to be in the Cabinet was great but it wasn't that great and he had a lot of terrific candidates and I thought I could play a better role being on the outside and continuing to be his close friend and adviser," Giuliani told Fox News' Neil Cavuto.

Trump met with Giuliani on Nov. 29., when the matter was discussed. He confirmed to Fox News that he had only been interested in being secretary of state.

"Honestly, the other positions I didn't have an interest in, so that really was the only one I had any real interest in," he told Cavuto.

Giuliani said he now intends to continue his work in the private sector. He also warned against the selection of Mitt Romney for the position, saying the former Massachusetts governor had "gone over the line" in previous criticisms he made about Trump.

"I will support [Trump's] decision, but my advice would be that Mitt went a little too far. You can make friends and make up but I would not see him as a candidate for the Cabinet," Giuliani told Cavuto.

Trump praised Giuliani in a statement, calling him “an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American.”

"He is and continues to be a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him for advice and can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date."

Reince Priebus, tapped to be Trump’s chief of staff, said that Giuliani was “was vetted by our team for any possible conflicts and passed with flying colors."

TRUMP & HILLARY WIN ARIZONA (VOTERS DON'T WANT BROKERED GOP NOMINATION)

TRUMP & HILLARY WIN ARIZONA PRIMARIES (DELEGATE COUNTDOWN):

TRUMP WILL BE THE GOP NOMINEE.

ARIZONA VOTERS DON'T WANT BROKERED CONVENTION.

Sources: AP, CNN, The Guardian, WSJ, Youtube

**** Arizona Primary

Last updated Mar 22, 2016 at 11:26 PM ET

REPUBLICAN

Mar 2258 delegates

1% reporting	Delegates	Votes
Trump (won)	58	46.5% 148,599
Cruz	0	21.0% 67,136
Kasich	0	10.2% 32,529

TRUMP TAKES NORTH CAROLINA FROM TED CRUZ (TRUMP vs HILLARY):

North Carolina primary

Last updated Mar 15, 2016 at 11:39 PM ET




REPUBLICAN




Mar 1572 delegates

95% reporting	Delegates	Votes
Trump (won)	27	40.5% 433,081
Cruz	24	36.7% 392,504
Kasich	7	12.5% 133,636
Rubio	4	7.7% 82,147




---

TRUMP TAKES NORTH CAROLINA FROM TED CRUZ:

IN NOV 2016 IT'S GOING TO BE TRUMP vs HILLARY.

TRUMP WILL BRING IT. HE'S NOT AFRAID OF OBAMA, NOR THE CLINTONS.

Sources:  AP,  CBS News, Patch, WCNC, YouTube

***** Trump Projected Winner in North Carolina Republican Primary 2016

Donald Trump beats back Ted Cruz surge. Kasich in third. Marco Rubio suspends campaign Tuesday night.

He'll likely finish third in North Carolina, but general election polling in the state helps John Kasich's argument if the race ends with a contested convention.

Donald Trump is the projected winnerin North Carolina, currently with more than 40 percent of the vote.

And, in the latest High Point University poll, Republican voters actually supported Trump by an even larger margin. But pollsters came away with a surprising answer in a general election match-up.

It was Kasich who fared best against Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical contest, winning with 53 percent support in the state to Clinton's 38 percent. Trump would beat Clinton with 49 percent of the vote to 42 percent.

That kind of math helps build an argument for John Kasich in a contested convention, says Martin Kifer, assistant professor of political science and director of the school's Survey Research Center.

UPDATE (9:56 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): Trump Wins

Donald Trump is projected to win the North Carolina Republican Primary, according to the Associated Press.

Donald Trump continues to lead the field with 40 percent of the votes counted so far in the North Carolina Republican Primary. But, even in a loss, Ted Cruz still may be able to keep the race close to a split in the race for delegates.

The big states among Tuesday contests are winner-take-all states. North Carolina's 72 GOP delegates will be divided up based on a candidate's percentage of votes. So a close second for Cruz could keep the delegate distribution nearly even heading out of North Carolina.

UPDATE (8:17 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): Rubio Struggles

Results continue to come in, with Trump maintaing a lead over.

A High Point University poll in early February had Trump leading in the state, but the big different was the rest of the first tier.

"Marco Rubio was in the pack in the 20s," says Martin Kifer, assistant professor of political science and director of the school's Survey Research Center.

Tonight, Rubio will likely finish fourth out of four.

UPDATE (7:50 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): First ResultsThe first results are coming in for North Carolina's Republican Primary. Polls have had Donald Trump leading in the state against challengers Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Marco Rubio.

UPDATE (7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): Polls Closing

Polls are closing at 7:30 p.m. in North Carolina. A projected winner may be called soon after. If not, it will be a good sign for Ted Cruz, who needs a close finish to negate delegates won by Donald Trump.

UPDATE (3:50 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): Turnout

North Carolina Republican Primary voters are heading to the polls earlier this season — two months earlier.

And the primary couldn't come at a more decisive moment, as Donald Trump looks to cement his lead in the nominating race against challengers Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Marco Rubio.

That kind of power, and the excitement around some candidates, may drive turnout among North Carolina voters.

Voters crowded a polling place in Cape Fear, with wait times of at least an hour, according to the Star News.

A Lake Norman polling place outside of Charlotte reported turnout at 25 percent by lunchtime, according to the Charlotte Observer.

More than 700,000 had cast ballots in early voting before Primary Day, according to WXII.

UPDATE (2:05 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): Down Ballot

North Carolina Republican Primary voters aren't just picking a presidential candidate from the four GOP nominees (Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Marco Rubio). There are a few more decisions that will have to be made going down the ballot.

Races for U.S. Senate and House, as well as six statewide races and a $2 billion statewide bond referendum are all on the ballot.

UPDATE (12:40 p.m., Tuesday, March 15): Delegate Math

Alone among the voting states Tuesday, North Carolina could offer a mathematical success for a strong second-place finish. There are 72 GOP delegates, but they'll be the only delegates handed out Tuesday night based on a candidate's percentage of votes.

So, a Trump victory puts another state in the "win" column, but a strong second place finish by Cruz would keep the delegate allocations nearly even. It also means that Kasich and Rubio should still walk away with some delegates from North Carolina, even if they lose everywhere else.

The poll crunchers at FiveThirtyEight predict Trump's North Carolina finish will be in the low 30s, but they note that Cruz hasn't been far behind in recent polls, potentially offering a tight finish.

Last Contest in the South

RALEIGH, N.C. — The last contest in the South will be decided Tuesday as North Carolina Republican Primary voters go to the polls.

With primary wins in every surrounding state, businessman Donald Trump is the frontrunner. But Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is hoping for a close finish or outright win in North Carolina to draw some of the national attention focused in other states and on other candidates.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is facing a tough battle in his home state that could end his presidential campaign. And Gov. John Kasich of Ohio appears ready for a win in his home state to propel him forward in the primary process.

TRUMP TAKES FLORIDA & ILLINOIS, TRUMP IS IT (DELEGATE COUNTDOWN)

TRUMP TAKES FLORIDA & ILLINOIS, TRUMP IS IT:

KASICH WINS OHIO.

TRUMP WILL BE THE GOP NOMINEE NOT KASICH.

Sources: Chicago Tribune, Fox News, Youtube

***** Trump wins Florida, Illinois, North Carolina; Kasich takes Ohio

Donald Trump won a decisive victory in Florida's primary Tuesday night, forcing home-state Sen. Marco Rubio to abandon the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But another big prize — Ohio — went to its governor, John Kasich.

Florida's outcome strengthened Trump's chances to secure the Republican presidential nomination. The third contender, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, is hoping to pick up enough delegates to force a contested national GOP convention in July.

"Do not give in to the fear," Rubio said in a not-so-subtle reference to Trump. "Do not give in to the frustration."

Florida and Ohio award the most delegates in voting Tuesday; Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina also weigh in.

Kasich had to win Ohio to keep his struggling campaign alive, but even so, he has virtually no path to the nomination.

"I want you to know the campaign goes on," Kasich said at his victory rally. He sought to maintain his positive persona. "I will not take the low road to the highest office of the land."

Trump's plainspoken — while controversial — appeals have resonated across the country, leaving other candidates reeling for a strategy to topple the unconventional front-runner.

"He will fix everything that is wrong with the economy and immigration," said Alex Perri, a 59-year-old retired firefighter from Margate, Florida, who was campaigning for Trump in the parking lot of an Oakland Park voting place.

Trump's promise to impose tariffs on goods from countries that don't "play fair" has been particularly resonant with voters across the industrial Midwest.

Even as Trump racks up more wins, questions have intensified about whether he is doing enough to stem violence at his raucous rallies.

Trump said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that his record-setting crowds have had "very, very little difficultly."

The New York real estate mogul backed away from a suggestion that he might cover legal costs for a supporter who punched a protester in the face during a rally last week in North Carolina. He has blamed a larger recent clash in Chicago on Democratic protesters.

His Republican rivals and other GOP leaders insist Trump deserves some responsibility, while both Rubio and Kasich in recent days have refused to say whether they would support a Trump nomination.

In a clear reference to Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, the GOP's top elected leader, declared that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.

For some voters, Trump's tone has been a turn-off.

Tom and Cathy Lewis cast their votes Tuesday for Kasich, who lives in their hometown of Westerville, Ohio. Beyond feeling a hometown connection to the Ohio governor, the couple said they were looking for a candidate with integrity and someone they can trust.

"We need to have a man who will speak against things that are wrong," Cathy Lewis said.

In recent weeks, Republicans who dislike Trump have banded to wage multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns against him. One political ad highlights Trump'sstatements that appear to encourage violence.

Trump still leads the race for delegates, with 568. Ted Cruz has 370 delegates, Kasich has 129 and Rubio left the race with 163.

A tally by The Associated Press shows Kasich would have to win 91 percent of the remaining delegates to clinch the nomination before the summer convention

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

KOCH BROTHERS ANNOUNCE NO FURTHER OPPOSITION TO TRUMP'S NOMINATION (GOP UNITES)

KOCH BROTHERS ANNOUNCE NO FURTHER OPPOSITION TO TRUMP'S NOMINATION:

GOP ESTABLISHMENT LEADERS ARE WISELY UNITING TO PREVENT LOSING WHITE HOUSE TO HILLARY.

Sources: Alex Jones, MSN, Rueters, The Guardian, Youtube

**** Koch Brothers Will Not Deploy Funds Against Trump During Primaries

The Koch brothers, the most powerful conservative mega donors in the United States, will not use their $400 million political arsenal to block Republican front-runner Donald Trump's path to the presidential nomination, a spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday.

"We have no plans to get involved in the primary," said James Davis, spokesman for Freedom Partners, the Koch brothers' political umbrella group. He would not elaborate on what the billionaire industrialists' strategy would be for the Nov. 8 general election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.

Donors and media reports have speculated since a Koch brothers summit in January that they would launch a "Trump Intervention," which would involve deploying the Kochs' vast political network to target the billionaire businessman and former reality TV star in hopes of removing him from the Republican race.

Many Republican party elites and business backers are eager to see Trump, a political outsider who has tapped into America's rising anti-establishment sentiment, fail in his bid for the nomination.

But with Trump racking up a series of sizeable wins in the early nominating contests, there is a growing sense of inevitability he will win the party's mantle.

Three sources close to the Koch brothers, who oppose Trump's protectionist trade rhetoric and views on immigration, said the Kochs were concerned they had not yet seen any attack on Trump stick.

The brothers are also smarting from the millions they pumped into the 2012 Republican presidential bids of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, only to see both candidacies fail, the sources said.

CRUZ LOSES TEXAS TO TRUMP & RUBIO HE'S FINISHED (DELEGATE COUNTDOWN)

**** IF CRUZ LOSES TEXAS TO TRUMP &  RUBIO HE'S FINISHED (DELEGATE COUNTDOWN):

TRUMP & RUBIO = 2016 GOP TICKET DREAM TEAM.

RNC BROKERED CONVENTION PLOTS

Sources:  Bloomberg News, Fox News, Meet The Press, NBC,  Raw Story, YouTube

It appears the GOP presidential nominee race has finally come down to Trump and Rubio.

Trump represents the Anti-Establishment, Military Vets, Evangelical voters, Disgruntled BLACK voters, and Business Leaders.

Rubio represents Establishment leaders Young Anti-Establishment voters, Evangelical voters, Conservative BLACK voters and Latinos.

Although Ted Cruz is still currently hanging on by a thread, several Political Strategists have predicted that if Cruz loses Texas to Rubio, he's finished.

Once Cruz drops out its a dead heat race to the Nomination for Trump & Rubio.

I'm praying Trump and Rubio will join forces to become the 2016 GOP Ticket Dream Team.

Trump & Rubio coming together before the November election will dispel divisive rumors of a GOP "civil war" and RNC Brokered Convention Plots.

I'm just saying.

Obama Attacks Republicans...Weekly Address

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Youtube

Obama Makes 15 Recess Appointments Despite GOP Objections

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama Makes Labor Board Appointment During Recess Over GOP Objections


Despite intense Republican objections, President Obama on Saturday used recess appointments to fill 15 administration posts without Senate confirmation, including Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board.

By filling the jobs while Congress is in recess, Obama gets around Senate confirmation. Obama justified the move by charging Republicans with playing politics with his administration nominees.

"The United States Senate has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of my nominees. But if, in the interest of scoring political points, Republicans in the Senate refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act in the interest of the American people and exercise my authority to fill these positions on an interim basis," he said in a written statement.

All 41 Senate Republicans wrote Obama this week urging him not to use a recess appointment for Becker, a former top lawyer with Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO, whose nomination was rejected by the Senate last month, 52-43.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also wrote Obama on behalf of 20 business groups that opposed Becker's nomination and decried the recess appointment.

"This recess appointment disregards the Senate's bipartisan rejection of Craig Becker's nomination to the NLRB," Chamber Vice President Randel Johnson said in a written statement.

"Overriding the will of the Senate and providing this special interest payback contradicts the president's claim to change the tone in Washington," he said. "The business community should be on red alert for radical changes that could significantly impair the ability of America's job creators to compete."

But White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki cast the opposition of Becker's nomination as part of an "unprecedented level of obstruction in the Senate" that had left "key economic positions unfilled, especially at time when our country is recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."

Psaki said the five-member labor board had been trying to operate with only two members.

"The roadblocks we've seen in the Senate have left some government agencies like the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission impaired in fulfilling their mission," she said in a statement. "These agencies can now get back to working for the American people."

The Senate's top Democrat, Harry Reid, welcomed Obama's move. "Regrettably, Senate Republicans have dedicated themselves to a failed strategy to cripple President Obama's economic initiatives by stalling key administration nominees at every turn," said Reid, the majority leader from Nevada.

But Republicans say Becker isn't working for all Americans.

"Craig Becker stands far outside the mainstream of NLRB nominees," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said in a written statement Thursday. "Given the bipartisan opposition to his nomination, the administration would be wise to not circumvent the will of the Senate by recess appointing him to the NLRB.

"There is no place on this powerful board for someone who believes that card check legislation -- getting rid of the secret union ballot -- can be enacted surreptitiously through regulation."

Sen. John McCain said the Senate has already delivered its verdict on Becker's ability to serve impartially on the labor board.

"If this administration chooses to recess appoint Mr. Becker, it would be just another example of putting the will of one special interest group over the will of the American people," he said.

Republicans wanted Obama to scrap Becker's nomination and appoint one Democrat, Mark Pearce, and one Republican, Brian Lewis, to the other vacant seats. Pearce was one of the 15 nominees appointed Saturday.

Democratic groups, such as the AFL-CIO, have said Becker's an experienced advocate for worker rights and have decried GOP "obstructionism."

But Obama didn't specifically address the controversy over Becker in his statement Saturday. Instead, he focused on the nominees still awaiting a vote in the Senate.

"At a time of economic emergency, two top appointees to the Department of Treasury have been held up for nearly six months," he said. "I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government."

Obama noted that former President George W. Bush made 15 recess appointments by this point in his presidency, "but he was not facing the same level of obstruction."

According to the White House, Bush had five nominees pending on the Senate floor by the same point in his first term compared with Obama's 77 nominees.


Sources: Fox News, MSNBC, WCNC

"Avatar" Tops 2010 Academy Awards Nominee List

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

2010 Academy Awards Nominee List


The science-fiction sensation "Avatar" and the war-on-terror thriller "The Hurt Locker" lead the Academy Awards with nine nominations each, including best picture and director for James Cameron and ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow.

For the first time since 1943 the Oscars feature 10 best-picture contenders instead of the usual five.

Also nominated for best-picture Tuesday: "District 9"; the animated comedy "Up"; the World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds"; the football drama "The Blind Side"; the recession tale "Up in The Air," the 1960s drama "A Serious Man," and the teen tales "An Education" and "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' By Sapphire."

Acting nominees include the four stars who have dominated early awards shows: lead players Sandra Bullock for the football drama "The Blind Side" and Jeff Bridges for the country-music tale "Crazy Heart" and supporting performers Mo'Nique for "Precious" and Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds."

The best-picture and director categories shape up as a showdown between ex-spouses who directed films that have dominated earlier Hollywood honors.

Cameron's "Avatar" won best drama and director at the Golden Globes, while Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" beat out Cameron at the Directors Guild of America Awards, whose recipient usually goes on to earn the best-director Oscar.

"The Hurt Locker" also beat "Avatar" for the Producers Guild of America top prize and was chosen as last year's best film by many key critics groups.

Bigelow, whose films include "Point Break" and "K19: The Widowmaker," is only the fourth woman nominated for a directing Oscar, following Sofia Coppola for 2003's "Lost in Translation," Jane Campion for 1993's "The Piano" and Lena Wertmuller for 1975's "Seven Beauties."

No woman has ever won the directing Oscar, and until Bigelow, no woman had ever won the Director's Guild honor.

Lee Daniels, who made "Precious," became only the second black filmmaker nominated for best director, after John Singleton for 1991's "Boyz N the Hood."

Also nominated for best director are Jason Reitman for "Up in the Air" and Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds." "Up in the Air" co-writer Reitman also had a nomination for adapted screenplay, while Tarantino also earned a nomination for original screenplay.

Longtime audience darling Bullock has never been nominated for an Oscar before but is considered the best-actress front-runner, playing a wealthy woman who takes in homeless teen Michael Oher, now a star with the Baltimore Ravens.

Bullock is up against past Oscar winners Meryl Streep as chef Julia Child in "Julie & Julia" and Helen Mirren as Leo Tolstoy's bullheaded wife in "The Last Station," along with first-time nominees Carey Mulligan as a British teen involved with an older man in "An Education" and Gabourey Sidibe as a Harlem teen overcoming horrible abuse and neglect in "Precious."

Sidibe made her screen debut in "Precious," earning an Oscar nomination for her first professional acting job.

Bridges, nominated four times previously without winning an Oscar, is viewed as the man to beat this time for his role as a boozy country singer trying to clean up his act in "Crazy Heart."

Also nominated for best actor are past Oscar winners George Clooney as a frequent-flyer junkie in "Up in the Air" and Morgan Freeman as South African leader Nelson Mandela in "Invictus," Colin Firth as a grieving gay academic in "A Single Man" and Jeremy Renner as a bomb disposal expert in Iran in "The Hurt Locker."

Mo'Nique and Waltz were nominated for wicked roles, she as a reprehensible welfare mother in "Precious," he as a gleefully garrulous Nazi in "Inglourious Basterds." They were breakout roles for both, Mo'Nique leaping into the awards elite after a career of mainly lowbrow comedy, Waltz making his first Hollywood splash after working mostly in European theater and television.

Also up for supporting actress are "Up in the Air" co-stars Vera Farmiga as Clooney's frequent-flyer soul mate and Anna Kendrick as his reluctant business protege.

The other nominations went to past Oscar winner Penelope Cruz as a filmmaker's needy mistress in the musical "Nine" and Maggie Gyllenhaal as a single mom involved wit Bridges' character in "Crazy Heart."

Joining Waltz in the supporting-actor lineup are Matt Damon as a South African rugby player in "Invictus," Woody Harrelson as a military man giving bad news to next of kin in "The Messenger," Christopher Plummer as aging author Tolstoy in "The Last Station" and Stanley Tucci as a serial killer in "The Lovely Bones."


Sources: MSNBC, youtube

Errol Southers Drops His Bid For TSA Chief; Tired Of Partisanship

Erroll Southers Withdraws: TSA Nominee Drops Out Amid "Political Agenda"


The Obama administration's choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name Wednesday.

In a statement, Erroll Southers said he was pulling out because his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda. President Barack Obama tapped Southers, a former FBI agent, to lead the TSA in September but his confirmation has been blocked by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who says he was worried Southers would allow TSA employees to engage in collective bargaining with the government.

Questions have also been raised about a reprimand that Southers received for running background checks on his then-estranged wife's boyfriend two decades ago. Southers wrote a letter to lawmakers earlier this month acknowledging that he had given inconsistent answers to Congress on that issue.

In an October affidavit for the Senate Homeland Security committee, Southers initially said he asked a San Diego police employee to run a background check on his then-estranged wife's boyfriend and was censured by his FBI superiors 20 years ago for what he said was an isolated instance.

But a day after the committee approved his nomination and sent it to the full Senate, he wrote to the senators and told them that he was incorrect, that he had twice run background checks himself.

The White House said Wednesday that the president had accepted Southers' withdrawal with great sadness and continued to believe he would have made an excellent TSA administrator.

The withdrawal of Southers' nomination was another setback for the TSA at a time when the government is still trying to answer questions from Congress about how a man was able to carry out a bombing attempt on Christmas Day on a Northwest Airlines flight found from Amsterdam to Detroit.





Jim DeMint Still Standing Firm Against TSA Nominee Erroll Southers


A Republican senator who is blocking confirmation of President Barack Obama's choice to head the Transportation Security Administration is accusing Democrats of trying to install Erroll Southers without debate.

Interviewed on NBC's "Today" show, Sen. Jim DeMint brushed off accusations by Democrats that he's unnecessarily delaying Southers' confirmation at a time of increasing terrorist threats and a leadership vacuum at the agency.

The South Carolina senator said Monday he's concerned that Southers would allow TSA employees to have collective bargaining, something he opposes. He said Southers "will not give me a straight answer." DeMint also said, "What I want is a few hours of debate on Mr. Southers to fix the nation back on security and get politics, especially union politics, out of our security apparatus."


Sources: Huffington Post

Jim Demint Criticized For TSA's Lack Of Leadership...His Response

Who's In Charge At The Transportation Security Administration? Nobody



In a massive security breach, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inadvertently posted online its airport screening procedures manual, including closely guarded secrets regarding special rules for diplomats and CIA and law enforcement officers.

Such glitches are made more likely, say critics, because there is no one at the helm of the TSA.

"One of the problems I see is we don't have anybody in charge," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. "We've been without a TSA administrator a good part of this year."

The most sensitive parts of the Standard Operating Procedures manual were apparently redacted in a way that computer-savvy individuals easily overcame.

The 93-page document shows sample CIA, Congressional and law enforcement credentials, which experts say would make it easy for terrorists to duplicate them.

The improperly redacted areas indicate that only 20 percent of checked bags are to be hand searched for explosives and reveal in detail the limitations of x-ray screening machines.

"When you don't have someone at the top, you have many of these issues that we're dealing with now," said Thompson.

DeMint Blocks Nominee

The previous TSA dministrator, Kip Hawley, stepped down on January 20, 2009. The acting administrator is Gale Rossides. President Obama tapped Erroll Southers, currently assistant chief for homeland security at Los Angeles airport, to become the TSA's permanent director back in September.

But Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) placed a hold on Southers' nomination earlier this month. In October, Sen. DeMint had sent a letter to Southers asking him for "a clear answer" on whether he would permit unionization of screeners at the nation's airports, which DeMint opposes.

In the wake of the screening manual snafu, Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), chair of the Senate's Homeland Security Committee, called forthe confirmation of Southers.

"The release of a Standard Operating Procedures manual for TSA officers is an embarrassing mistake that calls into question the judgment of agency managers," said Lieberman. "I would also add that the swift confirmation of Erroll Southers as TSA administrator will go a long way toward providing TSA the leadership it needs to put this issue behind it, and move forward."

Thompson said the decision by "a certain senator" to block Southers was "causing significant leadership issues at the agency."

A spokesman for Senator DeMint defended the hold on Southers. "The last thing we need to bring to TSA is the DMV's human resources model," he said. "This is pure politics by Rep. Thompson. President Obama and liberals in Congress are trying to pay back unions for their political support in the last elections, despite the fact that unionizing TSA screeners will hurt security efforts to protect Americans."

"If unions take over TSA and end the performance-based criteria for advancement and promote based on your seniority as a union member," said the spokesman, "you'll see even more errors like the one you saw yesterday."

Damaging Information in Screening Manual

Officials say the most damaging information in the unredacted manual is what size electrical wire can go undetected by airport screening machines -- valuable information for a bomb maker.

The document also includes a list of VIPs and federal officials who can get specialized or no screening, as well as items that screeners can opt not to check, including wheelchairs, footwear of the disabled, prosthetic devices and casts and orthopedic shoes.

Said former TSA inspector general Clark Kent Ervin, "It obviously gives a road map to terrorists as to exactly how to exploit the weaknesses in our aviation security system. And it's particularly galling because we've spent the bulk of our money and attention since 9/11 on the aviation sector."

The TSA was created after the 9/11 attacks as a response to the ease with which hijackers were able to get through airport security. But it has been a troubled agency from the beginning.

"I'm afraid to say that there has been a pattern of incompetence and ineptitude on the part of the TSA over the years," said Ervin. "There have been improvements in TSA, but it appears as though these kinds of things happen again and again."

In a written statement the TSA said the inadvertently released screening manual is an outdated version of procedures from last year that has since been updated six times.

Even so, the TSA has launched a full investigation. One thing officials have already learned is that if they had blacked out the sensitive parts with a magic marker, instead of a fancy computer program, there would have been no way for this breach to happen.



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Sources: ABC News, Google Maps