There's not much question that the President won the political battle over the creation of a Department of Homeland Security, despite having actually opposed the Department as an unwelcome Democratic idea for many months.

But the bigger question is whether the country is winning the actual battle for homeland security. And there are two important voices being raised to suggest that we aren't.

The first is that of former Sen. Gary Hart, co-chair of the now-legendary Council on Foreign Relations commission that all but invented the term "homeland security" in a little-noticed warning about our lack of preparation for a terrorist attack well before 9/11. Last month, Hart and the other co-chair, former Sen. Warren Rudman, issued an update entitled "America Still Unprepared -- America Still in Danger."

In the latest issue of The American Prospect, Hart summarizes the problems as follows: "Lack of access by the 650,000 state and local law enforcement officials to the terrorist 'watch list' for terrorist suspects; lack of preparation of public and private emergency health workers for a biological or chemical attack; lack of training and equipment for 2,700 National Guard units across the nation as 'first responders' and defenders against terrorist attacks; massive lack of attention to the vulnerability of our 361 ports, through which 21, 000 shipping containers flow every day; and lack of protection for energy production and distribution -- especially oil and gas -- systems."

Hart is especially alarmed at the Administration's apparently low level of interest in these problems because its international policies -- especially the drive to disarm Iraq -- makes another major terrorist strike here a lot more likely. "More than a year ago, President Bush declared war on terrorism. It is a two-front war -- abroad and at home. But the two-front war is presently being waged on one front alone. If we are at war, we should act like it and not pretend that it will not affect us."

Echoing Hart's voice is that of the President of the National League of Cities, mayor Karen Anderson of Minnetonka, MN, whose organization is beside itself over the failure of the Administration and Congress to redeem post-9/11 pledges for immediate fiscal help for "first responders" against future terrorist acts. As Congress adjourned for the year without authorizing "first responder" funds -- even the Administration had originally proposed $3.5 billion a year -- Anderson commented: "Congress is leaving town with the checkbook in hand, while cities are still holding the bag." Another League of Cities officer, New Haven, Mayor CT Joe DeStefano, said: "Cities have borne the lion's share of responsibilities for protecting citizens for 14 months now with virtually no support from the federal government."

With the President riding high, his party taking control of both Houses of Congress, and the GOP enjoying a strong degree of trust from the American people on the subject of national security, the continuing warnings of security experts like Hart and "first responders" like Mayors Anderson and DeStefano need to be heard and answered at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. From now on, the buck stops there.