We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Whose idea was it?

Here’s a quick quiz for you… I’ll post the answers later on.

1) Whose idea was the Department of Homeland Security?

2) Who suggested the US use pre-emptive action against States harbouring WMD?

Answer: Well, one person got very close, Gary Hart was indeed involved with both of these.

These two items and a whole bunch of others are part of the final report “Road Map For National Security: Imperative For Change, PhaseIII”. This was a bipartisan two year commission which completed its’ draft final report (from which I am working) Jan 31, 2001. President Bush and his team had barely moved into their offices at the time.

The commission was co-chaired by Hart and Rudman and was tasked with a total systemic review of US National Security.

13 comments to Whose idea was it?

  • Kelli

    Ooooh, ooh,oooh, I know, I know. Well, the first at any rate. Joe Lieberman, right? Right?

    #2 I dunno. Let’s go with Al Gore.

  • Jonlongstrider

    Actually, wasn’t it Gary Hart and his Boyd-disciple aide Bill Lind?

  • #1 = Joe Lieberman.
    #2 = Bill Clinton.

  • Da Beerfreak

    jfk

  • The Democrats in Congress wanted the Homeland Security office. Bush wasn’t crazy about the idea. The Democrats were never smart enough to take credit for it.

  • Gary Hart and Warren Rudman’s US Commission on National Security in the 21st Century proposed the creation of a Homeland Security Agency, and also that “the United States must bolster deterrence by making clear its determination to use military force in a preemptive fashion if necessary”, in its report of January 2001.

    And no, that doesn’t mean Gary Hart has any chance whatsoever at the Presidency.

  • Dale Amon

    I’ve posted the answer at the end of the article. One of you almost got it 🙂

  • Adam

    The US President isn’t sworn in until the spring after an election. Bush wasn’t even IN office during January 2001.

  • Ted Schuerzinger

    Uh, Adam, how old is your copy of the US Constitution? 🙂

    The Constitution was amended to move the inauguration date from March to January in the 1930s. IIRC it first took effect with Franklin Roosevelt’s second term in 1937.

  • Andy

    Actually, Dick Morris was on Cliton’s case about the preliminary version of this report saying that Clinton needed to take this seriously…(this is according to Dick Morris in some C-span Book TV thing I saw a month ago).

  • Dale Amon

    Kudos to Seamole! It looks like he posted his answer just as I “hit the buzzer” and posted the answer.

  • Mike

    Hart Rudman was referred to by Newt in his speech at AEI where he “supposedly took a shot at the State Department”

    Hart Rudman also said that the State Dept and Pentagon needed to realigned aka….. see Reformed from its bureaucracy. Newt stated that he was just stating what a bi-partisan commission stated as the obvious about State, it needs some serious reforming and right now there are many ‘entrenched’ bureaucrats that feel they are simply above anyone’s review or critiquing. See Joel Mowbray’s columns at National Review.

    DoD and the Pentagon has gone through some reforming and Rumsfeld is trying to break the futher bureaucracy with much resistance, though he’s controversial himself, we all know.

    However, State and its bureacrats like Mary Ryan, and now her assistant given her former job, are perfect examples of what continues at State.

    Ironically, Hart is a Democrat in the vain of a JFK liberal, however, he’ll always be best remembered for what was her name? Donna Rice I think?

    She later made a small comeback on the Howard Stern Show. Lol!

    Mike