As scandals go, it's pretty small potatoes that Chertoff wants to outsource port security. But it may hurt the administration out of proportion to its importance relative to deeper scandals.
Either Chertoff is toast, or he's invulnerable. I can't see him surviving this one.
The problem with the port security outsourcing is that it's hard to blame anyone, say in the Clinton administration, for it, and it's already a public relations problem.
Whether or not people understand the Fourth Amendment in the NSA scandal or the subtleties of covert agencies in the Plame affair or the argument for war in Iraq, people understand outsourcing. If there is any bastion of racism in the United States, especially against those of Middle Eastern origin, it's in the Bush camp.
It's a story you can tell in one sentence: "We're entrusting our security to Middle Easterners." That gives it a much better likelihood of it getting covered, because one sentence is about the minimum you can tell a story with, so it will play strongly to the audience that gets news in one-sentence doses and hates everything Middle Eastern due to the demonization of same by the administration. It's gotta hurt, and I think they can already feel it.
Bush is going to have to eat this one. This is radioactive. He is going to have to reassure Americans that port security is being done by Americans. Sooner, if he's smart and I'm not saying he is, better than later. Outsourcing port security will have to go.
Where does that leave "Heckuva job" Chertoff? As I see it, twisting in the wind. He's going to have to fall on his sword over this, because GeeWhiz can't let this fester, and whatever the outcome, it isn't going to go down very well with what is left of the base.
Outsourcing has legs.