Legislative Hullabaloo Over ICE Costume Flap

Julie Myers, currently the acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has climbed very far against difficult odds to get to where she is. She did not have incredible amounts of experience in the field of immigration enforcement, but she has done a magnificent job of reigning in the ICE and making it a more efficient entity.

She is currently up for nomination to be permanently appointed to the position. However, that nomination is looking a bit cloudy.

At the agency's Halloween party, she and two other officials gave a "most original costume" award to a white employee who came in wearing a prison outfit with dreadlocked hair and darkened skin. This was leaked to the public soon afterwards, and Myers issued an immediate apology.

Now, reading that description, one would get a sense of racial insensitivity by the employee and by the judges (including Myers). However, I begin to wonder what this costume looked like. I mean, was he trying to look black? Or, was he trying to look like someone who hadn't had a haircut or their hair combed in years...and had been running away and hiding out in the woods, where dirt would have darkened their skin.

Think about it for a second. None of us have seen what this costume looked like, so we can only go by the simple descriptions.

Now, we don't know what's going to happen with the nomination process of Myers.

Senate Majority Leader Harry "Weasel" Reid (D-Nv.)hasn't scheduled any hearings or votes on her nomination. Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) was a Myers supporter, but now believes it would be better to go with "non-controversial" leadership. Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.)both believe that Myers is sincere in her apology, and would still make an excellent director of ICE. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is pretty much using this as icing on the cake as to why Myers should not be nominated, although McCaskill was staunchly against her nomination in the first place.

Myers received praise and endorsement from the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security for her efforts and commitments to black employees of the DHS. Apparently, even black people who work for Myers find her to be a fine candidate and not of a racist bent.

This shouldn't really be made into such a larger issue, especially when the supposedly offended parties aren't offended...Myers' record as acting director of ICE should prove as