At Volokh Conspiracy, Orin Kerr says that the Hon. Michael Chertoff, Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, will be nominated to head the Department of Homeland Security. Why would he accept?
Why would Judge Chertoff accept the nomination? He'll be giving up a lifetime-appointment to an interesting and important job in favor of a bureaucratic post heading the most screwed-up, byzantine Cabinet department imaginable. He's doomed to fail, not because he's not good (he is), but because the DHS itself is doomed to collapse under its own weight.
Reasons for taking the job? It's probably hard to say no when the President asks you to do something (shockingly, I have no first-hand experience of this). Some people can't resist a challenge. Some people have political ambitions that require a well-rounded resume (though Chertoff has already been a high-level Executive Branch official). Any more?
CNN story here.
I personally thought that maybe he wanted to be historically relevant.
Some also speculate that he's ultimately trading up for a seat on the Supreme Court.
Posted by: Balasubramani | January 12, 2005 at 08:54 AM