Low-risk Tie Sep 3, 2009
FORMER Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, in town to promote his book, "The Test of Our Times," explained to a rapt crowd at the Russian Tea Room how political pressure was not in the mix when it came to the color-coded Homeland Threat Advisory system -- green (low risk) to orange (high) and red (severe). But when it came to the splendid light-blue tie he wore with a white shirt, Ridge told The Post's Billy Heller, "All I wanted was to make sure I didn't wear an orange or red one," adding, "I... (New York Post -- Gossip)
Blown Out of Proportion? Sep 2, 2009
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge recently raised eyebrows when he accused the Bush administration of politicizing the terror alert system after 9/11 ... TOM RIDGE, "THE REST OF OUR TIMES" AUTHOR: A lot of people are hyperventilating about that passage ... Served as this country's first secretary of Homeland Security, Governor Tom Ridge is with us. (Fox News)
Country Music Artist Trace Adkins to Perform at 9/11 Ceremony Remembering Flight 93 Heroes in Shanksville, PA. Sep 2, 2009
Other speakers include former PA Governor and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and General Tommy R. Franks, USA (Ret), honorary co-chairs of the Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign, as well as Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93. This year's ceremony theme is "Upon This Sacred Ground, Courage Remembered." At 10:03 AM - the moment Flight 93 crashed - the name of each of the heroic passengers and crew members of Flight 93 will be read and Bells of Remembrance will be... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Ridge downplays flap about terror alerts Sep 1, 2009
WASHINGTON - Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday people "are hyperventilating" about his assertion that politics played a role in talk of raising the terror alert before the 2004 elections. "A consensus was reached. We didn't go up. The process worked," Ridge said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America.". (MSNBC -- Politics)
Ridge: Terror-alert politics talk exaggerated Sep 1, 2009
Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday people "are hyperventilating" about his assertion that politics played a role in talk of raising the terror alert before the 2004 elections ... Ridge: Talk of terror-alert politics exaggerated Articles (08-31) 08:18 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday people "are hyperventilating" about his assertion that politics played a role in talk of raising the terror alert before the. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
National Security Adviser: Obama Having Greater Success Taking Out Terrorists -- Than Bush! Sep 1, 2009
" During the Bush administration, the country was flooded with cheap labor as the Mexican border was seemingly busted wide open and our government at the time refused to enforce any of our immigration laws. Moreover, virtually every public American corporation during the Bush administration was sued by American stockholders during that period because the boards of directors of those corporations intentionally lied with respect to their earnings so as to inflate stock prices. The stock market... (The Drudge Report)
Ridge: Second Thoughts, but Not Second-Guessing Sep 1, 2009
Test of Our Times': Tom Ridge on Terror Alert Level - TIME ... Tom Ridge at the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin, Texas Bob Daemmrich / Corbis ... Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge does not want to "second-guess" the motivations of his former colleagues in the Bush Administration. (Time.com)
Political Grapevine Sep 1, 2009
Former Homeland security chief Tom Ridge says he did not feel pressure from the Bush administration to raise the terror alert level ahead of the 2004 presidential election. Ridge tells the Erie Times-News that no one pressured him, but rather officials expressed an opinion that ran counter to his: "There was no pressure at all. There was a judgment call on their part and on my part.". (Fox News)
Media sheep facing truth-hungry Internet wolves Aug 31, 2009
This time, it s Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security. The one-time Pennsylvania governor admits in a new book that he felt political pressure from the White House to issue bogus terror alerts before the 2004 presidential election. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Bush's legacy continues to haunt Obama Aug 28, 2009
Just how deliberately -- and cynically, for partisan reasons -- that hysteria was sown is made clear in the recently published memoir by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Ridge leaves little doubt that at times he was pushed by the White House to raise color-code terror alerts to boost Republican election chances. (Albany Times Union)
The Justice Dept.'s War On Heroes Aug 25, 2009
Former Bush administration Homeland Security Secretary and Republican Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, in a forthcoming book, claims that former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pressured him to raise the national terror threat level preceding the 2004 elections. It's hard enough to swallow that Ridge, a Bronze Star recipient and Vietnam vet with a well-cultivated reputation for toughness, would clam up for five years about a concerted attempt to manipulate... (Investors Business Daily)
Orange alert: Politicizing national security Aug 23, 2009
The Bush administration played around with color-coded terror alert levels, according to a release from a soon-to-be published book by former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge. The book, The Test of Our Times, charges that top advisers to President Bush, including former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former attorney general John Ashcroft, pressed Ridge to issue a politically motivated alert just days before the 2004 election despite a lack of hard intelligence pointing to a new... (Boston Globe)
AP: Bush White House Politics Linked to Terror Alerts Aug 22, 2009
In a new book, Ridge says that despite the urgings of former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft he objected to raising the security level, according to a publicity release from the book's publisher. In the end the alert level was not changed. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Ex-Homeland chief claims pressure to raise alert Aug 21, 2009
WASHINGTON - Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge claims in a new book that he was pressured by other members of President George W. Bush's Cabinet to raise the nation's terror-alert level just before the 2004 presidential election. Ridge says he objected to raising the security level despite the urgings of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, according to a publicity release from Ridge's publisher. (AZCentral -- News)
LETTER: Look at a list of what Palin doesn't have Aug 21, 2009
The Question wrote on Aug 20, 2009 12:47 PM:" In a new book, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge reveals he was pushed to raise the color-coded security alert on the eve of President Bush's re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over.The GOP: Always lying to stampede the herd with fear and panic. ". Harry Potter wrote on Aug 20, 2009 1:17 PM:" In a new book, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge reveals new details on politicization under... (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
US 'terror alert' raised to sway 04 polls: Ex-Bush aide Aug 21, 2009
WASHINGTON: Former US homeland security chief Tom Ridge charges in a new book that top aides to then-president George W Bush pressured him to raise the "terror alert" level to sway the November 2004 US election. Then defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and attorney general John Ashcroft pushed him to elevate the color-coded threat level, but Ridge refused, according to a summary from his publisher, Thomas Dunne Books. (India Times, India)
Ridge felt a push to politicize alert levels Aug 21, 2009
Tom Ridge, former Homeland Security chief, said he felt pressure about the terror alert level just before the election ... WASHINGTON - The first Homeland Security secretary, Tom Ridge, says in a new book that he was pressured by other members of President George W. Bush s Cabinet to raise the nation s terror alert level just before the 2004 presidential election. (Boston Globe)
Ridge: I was pushed to raise terror alert Aug 21, 2009
Ron Edmonds / APTom Ridge, theformer Homeland Security secretary, faced criticism in 2004 from Democrats who alleged that raising the alert level was designed to boost support for the Bush administrationin an election year ... WASHINGTON - Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge claims in a new book that he was pressured by other members of President George W. Bush's Cabinet to raise the nation's terror alert level just before the 2004 presidential election ... andNewsweek's Michael... (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
mensbasketball Aug 21, 2009
6h ago Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge claims in a new book that he was pressured by other members of President George W. Bush's Cabinet to raise the country's terror alert level just before the 2004 presidential election. FIND MORE STORIES IN. (USA Today -- Sports)
Ridge to speak at Sept. 11 ceremony Aug 13, 2009
Speakers will also include retired Gen. Tommy R. Franks, commander of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Gordon W. Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell s participation was announced in late July. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
MICHAEL BARONE Aug 10, 2009
But Specter leads former Governor and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge by a statistically insignificant 46%-43% margin. A poll conducted for the PEG Political Action Committee, a pro-business group, has somewhat different numbers. (The Drudge Report)
Ridge book shows clash of security, politics Aug 9, 2009
When two planes crashed into the World Trade Center and a third into the rural countryside of his state, Tom Ridge knew the day's events would change history ... One chapter begins by quoting a letter from an airline passenger complaining of theft by TSA screeners: "Tom Ridge -- what have you done with my panties?'' Early in the manuscript, co-written by Lary Bloom and provided to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by the publisher, Mr. Ridge notes his recognition from the start of the personal perils... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Governor to review school shooting report Jul 29, 2009
While criticizing the university response, the panel -- which included former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge -- also said that quicker action by school officials may not have made a difference. The report also noted that campus and state agencies might have taken a different approach to Cho had his middle- and high-school records followed him to Virginia Tech, officially Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. (CNN -- US)
Va. Tech families: Reopen shooting probe Jul 29, 2009
Reconvening the appointed members of the panel, including former State Police Superintendent Gerald Massengill and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, would be a problem because all were volunteer members when they served. "These records are critical. They never should have been removed from the counseling center. I want to know why," Kaine said. (MSNBC -- Crime)
Terror-alert system faces panel review Jul 15, 2009
For example, in August 2004, then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge raised the alert level to orange, the second-highest level signifying a high risk of attack, in Washington, D.C., New York City and Newark, N.J., because of potential threats to financial buildings there. Democrats questioned the Bush administration's motives, because the change came as they concluded their presidential convention and swung attention to national security, the signature issue of President George W. Bush's... (AZCentral -- News)
Colors could disappear from terror alert system Jul 15, 2009
For example, in August 2004, then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge raised the alert level to orange, the second-highest level signifying a high risk of attack, in Washington, New York City and Newark, N.J., because of potential threats to financial buildings there ... Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge also thinks now is a good time for review. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Bullish days for loyal ex-Bushies Jun 23, 2009
Together the Bushes joined a speakers' roster of former administration heavyweights, including Richard Armitage (deputy secretary of state, 2001-2005), John Bolton (US ambassador to the United Nations, 2005-2006), Andrew Card (White House chief of staff, 2001-2006), Ari Fleischer (White House press secretary, 2001-2003), Michael Mukasey, Colin Powell (secretary of state, 2001-2005), Condoleezza Rice, Tom Ridge (secretary of Homeland Security, 2003-2005), Donald Rumsfeld, and John Snow (secretary... (Asia Times Online)
S.F. startup protects from airborne attack Jun 4, 2009
A San Francisco startup endorsed by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has begun marketing a system designed to protect a building's ventilation system in the case of an airborne chemical, radiological or biological attack. Images. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Technology)
Philip Maddocks: Donald Trump rules that Colin Powell can remain in the Republican Party May 30, 2009
Tom Ridge, a former secretary of homeland security for Mr. Bush, said on CNN that he disagreed with Mr. Cheney and agreed with Mr. Trump s decision. Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and a leading conservative in the party, said, "It is a great day for Colin Powell, a great day for Donald Trump, and, really, not that bad of a day for Dick Cheney.". (Medfield Press, MA)
The Four Kinds of Republicans May 30, 2009
The role of Avuncular CEO for that episode was played by former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, whose standing comes from being a former national security decision-maker. He criticized Obama's hyperbole about the ideological nature of Bush-era policies, but he also disagreed with Dick Cheney's claim that Obama had made America less safe. (Slate)
Safe or Free? May 29, 2009
Republican Department of Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge declared that waterboarding constitutes torture under United States laws. Yet neither the Bush nor Obama administrations have done anything to criminally investigate waterboarding as torture. (Townhall.com)
Voices of reason May 29, 2009
It's unfortunate that the apoplectic antics of this entertainer should further rend the Republican fabric at a time when Colin Powell and Tom Ridge are trying to weave again what was once a Grand Old Party. No matter Limbaugh's assessment, these men are not of some leftist lunatic fringe but from the inner workings of the George W. Bush administration. (NJ.com -- Times)
King: Supreme Court pick, Powell and GOP's big tent' May 26, 2009
Former Homeland Security head Tom Ridge disagrees with Cheney and Obama ... "I'm surprised that President Obama, who I really, truly believe knows better, would make such a statement. The men and women in charge of America's security, whether they're military, or the intelligence community -- the president, the vice president, the attorney general, the FBI director -- did everything they could at the time to prevent another attack on America. And did it consistent with the Constitution and the... (CNN -- US)
Powell Takes on Cheney, Limbaugh in Battle for Future of Republican Party May 25, 2009
Former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, who served from 2003 to 2005 under President George W. Bush, agreed. Limbaugh and other commentators who get the base all fired up are sometimes too divisive, Ridge said on CNNs State of the Union. (Bloomberg -- US)
BC-US--Ridge-GOP,0131 Ridge offers advice for GOP to rebound nationally May 25, 2009
Former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge says the Republican Party needs to be much less judgmental about disagreements within the party and far more judgmental about disagreements with Democrats. Ridge a former Pennsylvania governor also says conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh conveys his point of view in ways that offend many people. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
Guest lineup for Sunday TV news shows May 25, 2009
CNN's "State of the Union" - Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge; Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Ridge Noncommittal on White House Run in 2012 May 25, 2009
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge has ruled out running against Republican-turned Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter next year. (Newsmax)
POWELL FIRES BACK AT CHENEY, LIMBAUGH... May 25, 2009
One such Republican did seem to take Powell's side of the fight today, as Former Homeland Security Secretary and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge also joined in the criticism of Limbaugh Sunday. I think Rush articulates his point of view in ways that offend very many, Ridge said on CNN s State of the Union. (The Drudge Report)
Powell: Cheney Misinformed May 25, 2009
May 24, 2009 10:44 AM. Powell: Cheney's "Misinformed". (CBS News)
Split threatens to rupture GOP ranks May 25, 2009
WASHINGTON - The conservative vs. moderate split threatening to rupture the Republican Party played out across the airwaves Sunday, with Colin Powell and Tom Ridge denouncing shrill and judgmental voices they say are steering the GOP too far right. Karl Rove challenged Powell to lay out his vision and "back it up" by helping elect Republicans. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Late TV Listings May 24, 2009
Guests: Tom Ridge, former Homeland Security secretary; Senators Barbara Boxer of California and Richard Shelby of Alabama; HBO's Bill Maher; Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist; Karen Tumulty, national political correspondent, Time magazine. 9 a.m. (CNN). (Boston Globe)
Several Bush officials work in areas related to former jobs May 20, 2009
His predecessor, Tom Ridge, also is a security and crisis-management consultant. DIPLOMATS. (USA Today -- News)
Obama Fills Key Jobs With Elected Pols May 17, 2009
Bush's first Cabinet included eight members with experience in elected office which would expand to nine when former House Member and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R) became the first secretary of Homeland Security. Bush had only four Cabinet-level officers with such experience at the end of his second term. (Roll Call)
Pennsylvania Demos Not Embracing Specter May 11, 2009
Last week, he dodged a potentially deadly bullet when former two-term Gov. and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced he would not run for the Senate. Polls had shown moderate GOPer Ridge handily winning his party s nod and running neck-and-neck with Specter among all voters. (Human Events Online)
Ridge Won't Challenge Specter for Senate May 8, 2009
WASHINGTON Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge says he's not going to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter next year. (Newsmax)
Ridge says he won't run for Senate May 8, 2009
The decision by former Gov. Tom Ridge to forgo next year's Senate race ends a brief but intriguing subplot in an already tangled political saga. Mr. Ridge's announcement yesterday removed a potential challenge for all of the remaining contenders in the 2010 race. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Ridge Not Running for Senate May 8, 2009
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge will not run for Senate, dashing Republicans hope of fielding their top candidate to run against Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa. (Roll Call)
Specter to chair Judiciary panel May 8, 2009
Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge announced that he would not challenge Specter next year. Ridge, a moderate Republican and the first homeland security chief, had been running about even against Specter in a hypothetical general election race. (Boston Globe)
Cornyn: Ridge Weighing Bid for Specter's Seat May 6, 2009
The chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Tom Ridge might run against Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania next year. (Newsmax)
Ridge Weighing Senate Bid May 5, 2009
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is considering running for the Republican Senate nomination in his home state, according to a senior Republican aide with knowledge of the situation. National and Keystone State Republicans have been publicly and privately urging Ridge to consider a Senate bid since Sen. (Roll Call)
Poll: Specter's switch boosts hisprospects May 5, 2009
Survey finds Pennsylvania senator vulnerable to Tom Ridge candidacy ... Arlen Specter boosted his 2010 re-election prospects by switching to the Democratic Party, but may be vulnerable if the GOP can persuade former Gov. Tom Ridge to run, according to a poll released Monday. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Specter would trounce Toomey, poll shows May 5, 2009
But the poll also found that Mr. Specter would have a significantly tougher time if former Gov. Tom Ridge were to be the Republican nominee. Mr. Ridge has not publicly expressed an interest in the race, but several reports have asserted that he is considering the possibility of a bid to return to Congress after his years as governor and secretary of Homeland Security. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Clinton to promote memorial honoring 1995 bombing May 4, 2009
Clinton, who was president when a truck bomb tore through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, and killed 168 people, took a private tour of the memorial and museum and then was given an award for the support he has given the memorial (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Stories Swirl Around Specter Departure, Republican Primary May 1, 2009
Within hours of Arlen Specter returning to the Democrat Party, two interesting story lines started swirling around my inbox: some Senators and the Republican commentariat started blaming Jim DeMint, and many got the impression John Cornyn wanted former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to jump in the race ... Were that not enough, many people are wondering whether Cornyn is now trying to recruit former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge into the Pennsylvania Primary ... Ignore, for a minute, that Tom... (Human Events Online)
Don't let the flu scare you May 1, 2009
I get the strange sense that we're about to see color-coded warnings again that Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge made so popular, and those should match the shade of my outrage. JOHN ELLIS. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Opinion)
Napolitano Plays Down Terror Color Codes Mar 27, 2009
Just last week, Napolitano set a new tone from her predecessors at the DHS, Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, by avoiding the terms "terrorism" and "9/11" in her first address to the House Homeland Security Committee since taking office. Napolitano, the Associated Press reports, is the first homeland security secretary to drop the term "terror" and "vulnerability" from remarks to the House Homeland Security Committee. (Newsmax)
Carbon Motors taking aim at Charlotte region for HQ, plant Mar 7, 2009
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, 9-11 commission vice chairman Lee Hamilton and former Clinton administration drug czar Lee Brown serve on Carbon Motors advisory board. Three of the company s top officers are former Ford executives. (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)
Read the 'Beltway Boys' transcript Mar 3, 2009
" Napolitano's choice of language prompted a comparison for prepared remarks with those of her predecessors, Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff. While Ridge and Chertoff made multiple references to terrorism and attacks, Napolitano made virtually none, Juan, just so you understand this, that's zero. (LAUGHTER) WILLIAMS: All right. Let me just tell you, there's an interesting precedent here because, if you watched on Tuesday night, you remember what happened in President Obama's remarks to the joint... (Fox News)
Janet Napolitano's word choice spells out change in tone Feb 25, 2009
Tom Ridge, who headed the agency when it was launched in 2003, mentioned terrorism 11 times in his prepared statement at his debut before the oversight committee. In 2005, Michael Chertoff, the second secretary, mentioned terrorism seven times. (AZCentral)
St. E's returning as DHS home Feb 23, 2009
The three secretaries of Homeland Security to date Tom Ridge, Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano have been housed in temporary quarters at a Nebraska Avenue complex in upper Northwest. On Christmas Eve 2002, a prospectus was issued seeking space for the new DHS headquarters. (Washington Business Journal, DC)
Ridge: We were wrong to torture Feb 22, 2009
Tom Ridge was appointed after the 9/11 attacks on the US ... Tom Ridge told the BBC that the report's attacks on extended detention and torture were justified ... Tom Ridge, former US homeland security secretary. (BBC News -- Americas)
