A hole in the middle

摘要

George bush and the Democrats in Congress rejoined their battle this week over the mooted new Department of Homeland Security. The president wants the power to hire, fire and allocate workers in the name of flexibility. Democrats, who tend to be somewhat closer to the unions, accuse the Republicans of trampling on civil rights. They also want Congress to control the department's budget; Mr Bush wants to keep 5% under the discretion of the administration. Which is all very well. But it seems to have remarkably little to do with making America safer. One year after America realised how vulnerable it was, it still does not have a department devoted to that project. What has been achieved?