The reason for the Department of Homeland Security was counter-terrorism. Everybody was focused on how do we handle the aftermath of a 9-11?

The real reason to stay away is the weather, not terrorism. Terrorism isn't a threat; this is a safe place.

Our priorities are national security. People linked to terrorism are number one. We are looking at the borders with interior enforcement - places that would be harmed by illegal terrorists working in places like nuclear power plants and airports. We are dealing with the criminal alien element. We can't be everything for everybody.

[T]he most dishonest argument about security cameras, searches, profiling, etc....is that they won't stop terrorism. Well, no one thing will stop terrorism. But to conclude, therefore, that we shouldn't do anything -- that's not an argument, it's an excuse. And a bad one.

Much of today's security measures are little more than a panicked response to terrorism and not likely to ever go away because Americans are coming to accept it as normal.

All the way back to 2002 and 2004, the issue of security and terrorism was supposed to be the strength that drives Republican victories and generally has been the strongest suit of the president. Now they don't have a strong suit to play.