Erroll Southers, who was nominated to be head of the TSA, withdrew his name, saying that Republicans had politicized the appointment. Southers is currently assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence for the Los Angeles World Airports Police Department.

 

According to a New York Times report, Southers said in a statement, "It is clear that my nomination has become a lightning rod for those who have chosen to push a political agenda at the risk of the safety and security of the American people. "This partisan climate is unacceptable, and I refuse to allow myself to remain part of their dialogue."

 

 

The report said that the White House accepted Mr. Southers’s decision with regrets.