You could almost hear the relief in President Obama’s words as he thanked FBI veteran John Pistole for agreeing to take the job. If ever there is a thankless task, it is trying to straighten out the mess at the Transportation Security Administration, the most clueless of federal bureaucrats who are responsible for keeping the nation’s highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, pipelines, and airports safe. Created in the wake of 9/11 and now with over 50,000 employees and a $7 billion budget, TSA has become the butt of late night talk show jokes, a string of critical Inspector General and GAO reports, and the target of public fury over its arrogant, hapless airport screening system.

Hopefully, his taxes are paid up ...