Southers believes that so-called “right-wing extremists” – including pro-lifers pose a serious threat to our national security. His shocking views are available on YouTube.
Southers admitted under oath before a Senate Committee that he had used his power at the FBI to check into the classified records of a man who had become the boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend. Under oath, he claimed that someone else had accessed the records. A day after he was voted favorably out of committee, he sent a memo to key Senators saying his testimony was incorrect. He had accessed the records himself, not someone else.
Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) put a hold on Southers’ nomination because of serious concerns over his integrity and if he will permit the unionization of TSA employees.
According to DeMint, “Erroll Southers has not been forthcoming about whether he'll give union bosses control of our airport security, which is one of the most important decisions he'll make as head of the TSA. Mr. Southers' unwillingness to form a position on collective bargaining seriously calls into question his judgment, because it weakens security and has already been rejected by the CIA, the FBI, the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, and by every previous TSA administrator.”
Southers’ Views Mirror Those Of DHS Head Napolitano
Last April, the Department of Homeland Security, headed by Secretary Janet Napolitano, issued a report on so-called “right-wing extremism” that characterized returning American soldiers, pro-lifers, and conservative political groups as potential terrorists.
Napolitano defended the report in April, 2009, but later withdrew it from the DHS web site. It is still available on the Internet.
This report created a firestorm and Napolitano was rightly hammered for it. This is the same leader who said the Christmas underwear bomber incident proved that the “system worked.”
In a footnote on page 2 of the report, it says that extremism goes beyond religious or racial hate groups and extends to “those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely.”
The report continued: “It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”
“If confirmed, it is likely that Erroll Southers will use the ‘right-wing extremism,’ manual as a guidebook against U.S. citizens,” said TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty.
“While Southers will focus on peaceful pro-lifers and American soldiers as potential terrorists, the Islamic terrorists will undoubtedly make great headway in killing Americans in the years ahead. The Christmas Day failed underwear bomber incident over Detroit is just the beginning.”
