Michael Chertoff Coming to Athenaeum Tomorrow Night

November 11, 2008

Michael Chertoff, AKA "The Skeletor" AKA co-author of the Patriot Act, AKA the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is coming to the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College tomorrow night.  He will attend a Res Publica luncheon off campus for alumni prior to the talk. The Secret Service will be in full force-- unlike Karl Rove at the time of his visit in September, Chertoff is currently in office and protected like whoa.  The Department of Homeland Security, which Chertoff is responsible for, runs over 20 government agencies including the Secret Service, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, FEMA, etc.  He oversees an annual budget of $52 billion-- a little more than our endowment after the market meltdown.

There may be protesters, but be careful-- Chertoff has the power to wiretap your life, deport your relatives, and make sure you're always "randomly screened" at the airport (oh, Homeland Security is in charge of TSA, too).  So leave our fountains alone, people.  And don't even think about trying to block the exits.  He could call in ten Apache helicopters from the Coast Guard (also under the purview of Homeland Security) to airlift him off the roof of Seaman Hall if he wanted to.  Whether you agree with his actions or not, this is one powerful dude.

From David Edwards:

"All dinner and talk attendees should bring their CMC ID. No backpacks or cameras will be allowed into the building. Entrance to the Athenaeum will be made through a gate north of Appleby Hall."

Seating, if available, will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  There will be an overflow video feed in Pickford Auditorium.