Bersin to Customs

Barack Obama has named Alan Bersin to head Customs-Border Patrol in a recess appointment, which has provoked a bit of commentary from the North. I agree that blocking his appointment was ludicrous, but I also think that, in a couple of interviews last year, Bersin came off as distinctly unwise on matters related to Mexican security. Such a relatively small window onto his thinking (though they were rather lengthy interviews) is not necessarily sufficient to make a comprehensive judgment on his philosophies and certainly not his performance in government, nor does having a bad guy at Customs doom Obama's Mexico policy, but Bersin seems like someone with a fundamentally outdated view of Mexico, which is worrying. More here and here. Although I should add that Armand Peschard and Leonardo Curzio approve of his appointment.