Schumer on Port Security

WTF? Is this guy really this bloody stupid? This container scanning for nuclear weapons is enough of a joke, but now we have Chuckles Schumer telling us that all containers should be scanned out of country.

The bill would already require the government to finish installing radiation-screening equipment at major U.S. ports by the end of 2007 to detect "dirty bombs," devices that combine conventional explosives and radioactive material.

The measure would also launch a pilot project for cargo-scanning at three foreign ports.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat, proposed an amendment that would also mandate the scanning at all foreign ports within four years. Companies shipping the goods would pay the scanning costs, which he estimated at about $8 a container.

"God forbid a nuclear weapon is shipped into this country and exploded," Schumer said.

Don't see the problem, well I'll lay it out for those of you who are a touch slow. First, there is no reason to expect that foreign port operators or shipping establishments will comply with swallowing these huge costs. Second, what in his pea-sized brain makes him believe that having the scanning in another country will eliminate the chance for collusion between a terrorist and a scanner operator or a ship owner? Thirdly, has he made any attempt to look at what is a good target for a nuclear weapon? Say you want to cause major disruption to a country's economy, detonating a nuke in the port of Los Angeles would be very effective. The container wouldn't ever be scanned because it would destroy its target first. Fourth, bypass the ports:

Bill co-sponsors from both parties attacked Schumer's proposal. Companies would avoid the charge by sending their goods to Canada and from there by rail to the United States unscreened, said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state.

There's also this little thing about the "Real Security" amendments that Reid is trying to tack on.

But Republicans poured scorn on an amendment proposed by Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada. It called for a wide-ranging security program including protecting chemical plants and implementation of all the September 11 commission's recommendations; Stevens warned that adding all of this to the port security bill would "kill" it.

From what I've read it's not just one amendment, but hundreds of amendments. Essentially the tactic is to force so many foolish amendments onto the bill that no one will vote for it. Well, I suppose if you can't just block a bill directly, you can amend it to the point of making it unfeasible and then point to the Repugs inability to provide security measures.

This is such an incredible waste of time and money. Especially considering that chemical factories and storage areas (not to mention transport train cars) have gained nothing in security. A terrorist with a rifle could spread huge amount of destruction from a distance and no one would be any wiser.