You have to go back decades to find a nominee for secretary of transportation with fewer apparent qualifications for the job than Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, N.C.
The Charlotte Observer reported last week that while Foxx has been mayor, his "biggest setbacks have been transportation-related: his inability to secure a 2.5-mile streetcar extension and the possibility that lawmakers could shift control of the [Charlotte Douglas] airport from the city to an authority."
Foxx's most important qualification seems to be that he is a 42-year-old rising star in Democratic politics who can use national exposure to boost his career.
By contrast, outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had served for five years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee while in Congress. He will be best remembered in the auto industry for his crusade to end distracted driving by prompting automakers to limit what drivers can do while behind the wheel and advising Toyota owners not to drive their vehicles during the sudden acceleration brouhaha.
With the nation facing crucial transportation issues involving airports, airlines, ships and railroads -- not to mention the future of highways and automobiles -- it is regrettable that President Obama nominated someone who may need so much on-the-job training.
Americans deserve better.
