Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who has been the target of much Democratic criticism for his efforts to slow down Senate confirmation of Erroll Southers, the Obama White House’s nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, now says Southers should not be confirmed.

DeMint has been critical of Southers for refusing to answer questions about whether Southers would work toward unionizing the TSA. But in demanding that there be a Senate debate and roll-call vote on Southers — Majority Leader Harry Reid had wanted to confirm Southers by unanimous consent — DeMint has stopped short of calling Southers unqualified. Now, however, referring to a news report that Southers misled the Senate about an incident 20 years ago in which Southers improperly accessed a government criminal database, DeMint says flatly that Southers is not qualified and does not deserve confirmation.  This is a new statement from the senator: