Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

A group of leading technology companies today chastised Congress and the Bush administration for what it characterized as a failure to support initiatives to fight online crime, saying a lack of leadership and accountability in this area is endangering U.S. economic and national security.

...The industry-led criticism comes as the problem of computer- and Internet-based crime has reached an all-time high. A U.S. Treasury official said earlier this month that profits that online crooks are earning through computer crime now rivals that of the global trade in illegal narcotics. Earlier this year, federal investigators acknowledged that a series of computer break-ins at several government and defense technology contracting companies led to the theft of sensitive documents and intellectual property by Chinese hacker groups and other foreign governments.

And lest you think that this is just a series of small aberrations on Bush's part, allow me to assure you that Bush's inability to keep America more secure on all fronts, including economic ones, continues apace:

The trade deficit unexpectedly rose 4.4% in October to $68.9 billion, an all-time high, as oil shipments soared and the United States set deficit records with China, Europe, Canada and Mexico, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

So far this year, the gap between what America sells overseas and what it imports is running at an annual rate of $718 billion, far surpassing last year's $617.6 billion imbalance. Critics say the soaring deficit is evidence that President Bush's policy of pursuing free trade deals around the world is not working.

Funny how a little thing like illegally invading a country, turning it into a terrorist training ground, and destabilizing global oil production (thus raising oil prices for everyone) turns off so many people in other countries that they refuse to buy American goods, isn't it?

Keeping trade and governmental secrets out of foreign hands, as well as ensuring the growth of America's economy, are security issues, and the Bush Administration gets an "F" on both... but it's America that is being held back.