Retired Army Intelligence Officer Maj. Gen. Robert A. Harding was selected by President Obama to take over the Transportation Security Administration, after the withdrawal of Mr. Obama’s first pick who came under fire just 2 1/2 weeks ago. Gen. Harding abruptly withdrew his nomination on Friday night amid questions about his work as a defense contractor, becoming the second casualty for the critical security post.
In a released statement, Gen. Harding said, “I felt that I could bring (to the post) some leadership, vision and intelligence expertise. However, I feel that the distractions caused by my work as a defense contractor would not be good for this administration nor for the Dept. of Homeland Security.” Incidentally, President Obama’s first nominee, Erroll G. Southers, a former FBI agent and counterterrorism supervisor for the Los Angeles Airport Police, withdrew his nomination in January after he was found conducting police background checks on a man his estranged wife was seeing.
No third choice has been announced, which likely means with back-to-back failed nominations, the position will remain unfilled for months to come.
