Chertoff not sorry for calling Kennedy awesome

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff doesn’t regret describing Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy (Mass.) as “awesome” during a press conference last month announcing a bipartisan immigration deal.

“I can disagree with someone but still respect their capabilities and I can like them personally,” Chertoff told reporters at a breakfast this morning. He said he wouldn’t apologize for expressing his respect for Democrats or Republicans.

Chertoff criticized the “weird culture” of Washington, where disagreements turn to warfare, and noted that as an attorney, he was able to dine with other lawyers even after prosecuting their clients.

{mosads}“Now, maybe that does put me out of touch with where Washington culture now is, that you have to hate the person that disagrees with you,” Chertoff said.    

Chertoff has been criticized on some conservative blogs for his May 17 comments about Kennedy, with whom Chertoff worked closely on the immigration bill the Senate is expected to resume work on this week.

For example, a posting last month on RedState.com said the comment showed Chertoff’s “true colors” and revealed Kennedy as the chief deal broker, with the administration as “cheerleaders, water-carriers and menservants.”

Chertoff said he doesn’t spend a lot of time reading blogs, but suggested comments in the blogosphere and on talk radio or cable television have created a climate that makes it tougher to get support for the immigration bill. While some blogs are “well-reasoned,” he said some “have a lot of capital letters and exclamation points” as well as curse words and attacks on people’s motives.

“That’s where we lose perspective over language sometimes, that you’re a sellout or a traitor if you support the bill,” Chertoff said.

Asked what keeps him up at night, Chertoff said he worries about “a developing complacency and cynicism” about the threat the U.S. faces from Islamic extremism. He said he worried that people are unwilling to make the “necessary sacrifices” to disrupt or repel terrorism attacks.

He said there have been attempted terrorism attacks on the U.S. since Sept. 11, 2001, and that he expected terrorist groups would try again, perhaps by recruiting people in the West. “I think we are due for another effort,” Chertoff said. “I think they’re going to want to carry out another attack.”