2007 NEWS NOTES

Saturday, March 15, 2008 03:35 PM

These are comments and notes that appeared in one place or another on the Presidential-Appointments.org page during 2007 - generally organized by the date they appeared on the page.

RECENT NEWS NOTES

The following items are notes archived from the home page of this site from time to time.  Please contact me at Director@Presidential-appointments.org  if you have questions or 617 504 3699. 

  The Attorney General nominee - Judge Mukasey - is in the soup with the Senate Judiciary committee which controls his potential confirmation.  He started out with the very direct and straightforward everybody hoped for from a Judge with a 20 year background on the bench and with a solid reputation.  Certainly he had a general conservative pitch about his history - but sounded like a man who could take over the Justice Department issues and manage them in a way that suggested serious integrity.  However, he got either weak or broken knees, and clearly let ambition get ahead of his good - even judicial - judgment by ducking and dodging like his predecessors have for several months. The interesting issue is how quickly DC pressure and a snap from the White House can turn an apparently strong man into weak knees and custard on clear constitutional issues.  It isn't the first time it has happened.  We'll see whether he can return to his original integrity and get himself confirmed - he might be back into shocked retirement if he doesn't square up his testimony to the Senate - soon.  10-28-07

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Updated Saturday, March 15, 2008 03:35 PM  . .

POLITICS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

      Everything in the White House is about politics - not just the stuff Karl Rove has been up to during the Bush Administration.   Depending on the nature of the President, party politics is close in or more remote to daily policy making.  Dwight Eisenhower was the consummate politician, but had a real disdain for party political practitioners.  (That attitude was clear in the one personal contact I had with him at Gettysburg to extend an invitation to speak in Missouri - which he later slipped out of when Ex-Pres Hoover died.)

      The Republican National Committee down the street from the White House handled Party Politics.  Ike's particular distain for Richard Nixon as VP was disrespect for Nixon's political nature.  More than a few sarcastically said at the time of Ike's several heart attacks that he refused to die and thereby let Nixon become President.

     President Bush hasn't much of political skill package so Karl Rove has presented that part of his personality for years.  Rove reflects the sort of party politician that sees everything in terms of Party control and Party building.  While it is somewhat unusual for that type to be on the White House payroll rather than on a political party payroll outside the government - it is not the first time.

     Often political operatives in the White House are there to keep the President and the White House responsible to public opinion.  In the Bush setting, that connection has not been a priority.  Rove  is there to enhance the Party.  However irritating that may be to some of the public, he has been good at it.  

      In general it is difficult to imagine that the depth of Rove's intense political decision making that seems to include outing CIA agents and dumping US Attorney's to make room for his pals, is On Behalf of the Peope.

EMPTY SLOTS:  As the Bush Administration is coming to an end, they have serious problems filling empty positions.  The result is that many of the appointments are interim, i.e., they are filled by people not yet confirmed by the Senate, and in many cases, in situations where there may not be actual nominations from the White House.  Democrats are careful about making confirmations for nominations who may be in office for 5-12 years - thereby locking in Bush appointments for many years.  This is a type situation when the party controlling the Senate thinks it may take control of the White House when the new President comes into office on January 20, 2009. 10-16-07

ECONOMY WATCH:  The new majority of the Democratic Party in both parties will start dramatic shifts in the personnel available for positions all across the government.  One of the difficult problems in executive appointments is the ability to find talented and experienced candidates to fill future Executive Appointments.  With an open election for the President coming in 2008, it is a solid bet that Democrats are keeping short lists of people to fill the economy related positions if a Democratic President is elected. January  4 2007

Congressional committee and staff appointments will draw personnel from across the country and economic talents of all sorts will find jobs.  Special experience in tax and budget matters will be key for new personnel.   (January 28 2007)

Moving on: Rove goes over the Side: Karl Rove is being touted as some sort of spectacular being who is unique in the history of the United States Presidency.  History shows these side-kicks of President's are lost in history, and rarely are found as more than footnotes, and seldom is that so.  Every President has one or more of them!  Rove is no exception and we are spending more time on this departure than is appropriate. (Continued at Odd Appointment Tales)  August 21 2007

Puppet Government:  Bush in Trouble in Iraq:  The Iraqi Parliament clearly does not have real authority to make decisions for its country.  It clearly does not have much authority over military strategies, and, under the oil policies in place, cannot control oil money for running a government or establishing a security structure - it is all in Bush's hip pocket who makes decisions from the perspective of another country, another religion, another society, and in service of the international oil cartel.  Iraqi politicians have plenty of issues and problems, conflicts and all the rest - but they don't have the power to save, repair, or even manage their own new future.  Where would the US have been after 1776 if another country controlled our founders - certainly somewhere else than where the Founding Fathers took us using their own power and being responsible for their own future?  August 4 2007

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Desperate Cheney:  The US political system has worked again with the Vice President being flushed out into the open by both the press and the government bureaucracy - the Archives - which feels a strong duty of protectiveness over documents and information.  He has been made largely irrelevant by all this - but long after huge - but fixable - damage has been done.  There is enough history of the Bush administration to make it clear that the political establishment around the prior Bush presidency essentially co-opted W's presidency with men like Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and others in key spots.  That crowd came out of control of the earlier Bush bunch and became a third and violently powerful rump government out of everybody's view.  Rummy was a strange bird - sort of silly - out of contact with reality - driven by some sort of immature egomania.  

Cheney went a different way - into an intense psychotic mode to control what he saw as a kind of Messianic duty to save the society-including how oil was to be managed in the mid-East.  Our founders understood this weakness and danger in the human psyche from horrible historic experiences in Europe.  We saw the same phenomenon in fascist Europe where unrestrained subordinates took off into their own government.  Cheney clearly understood what a intellectual and leadership dunce Bush II represented, and set up his little kingdom from the front.  Bush didn't even understand he was out of control and may not be able to do anything about it now!  (This is all a example of why Vice Presidents are kept on short agendas by stronger Presidents.)  But the game is over now.  If there is anything more on the Cheney "To Do List" -  it will be under the fiercest scrutiny from the outside and from the other power centers around the President - if not the President himself. 7-2-07

Headed to the Safety of Home:   Montana US Attorney Bill Mercer went to Washington to the position of 3rd man in the Department of Justice several years ago while continuing as USA at home.  His confirmation was delayed until the new Senate come to power in January - and he was fully enmeshed in the controversy about how US Attorneys had been fired and replaced.  His sponsor, Senator Conrad Burns of Montana lost in the fall election to Jon Tester, a Democrat.  Six months later his confirmation seemed to be on the schedule for late June - he withdrew his nomination and is headed home.  He was caught in the duplicitous conduct of the Rove White House and while an experienced guy - was in a trap and taking the heat for Rove and the AG.  The part of his testimony before the Senate which is public suggests his answers to truthful, full, and one of the few straightforward pieces of information the Senate has gotten on the US Attorney firings.  Back in Montana he had left the USA offices in the hands of underlings and brought down the wrath of the supervising Federal Judge.  All that together added up to a ticket home.  The Mercer situation looks like a smart country boy from Montana was caught up in a Texas boondoggle.  He probably will be looking for a place in the private practice of law at the end of 2008. 6-23-07

Threads of Power:  Tracking power and how it is managed often depends on the way the person exerting power got into that position.  "Who worked for who" is an important clue.  An example is the recent nomination of James Caswell to head the Bureau of Land Management, a part of the Department of the Interior, headed by his former boss in Idaho who was then Governor Dirk Kempthorne.  There seems to be a general acceptance of Caswell into his new appointment.  There are other situations where this threat of connection is important to understand.  Just as in private industry, many jobs are filled by the personal reference of a former boss or a friend.  The art of studying Presidential and Executive appointments, is of course, determining whether the references are benign or favorable for the good of the People.  The Threads of Power have been the stuff of great literature and good theater for all of recorded time - and when traced carefully in today's government bring insight into the sort of governing we can expect.  6-17-07

Transparency at Work:  Powers of the President are exerted largely through patronage appointments, which in turn are dominated these days by an opaque coalition of sophisticated scholars - NPO staff - and appointees in-place.  The core of the group circulates in and out government for generations exerting enormous power which is held together with tiny stitches making a fabric of control which is essentially impenetrable.  Newly elected Presidents bring some level of new people into government - a group which learns early that they are surrounded by, in need of, and unable to escape the presence of this tight knit group of insiders.

History verifies that such is the nature of human governance.  In a hugely complex society, however, it disappears more deeply into the fog and mist of busyness and obfuscation - difficult to judge - to determine purpose  - and to challenge for cause.  Money feeds power, power generates position, and position gives patronage back to money and private purpose.  On occasion the benefits to the People in general from this arrangement are dramatic, but more often must be pried out of the government establishment.  When dramatic change does occur, it is reabsorbed in the shortest time which can be managed by this same complex mechanism.

When the individual vita of each player is exposed to the public over time, with particular reference to the collective contacts, meetings, joint writing efforts, selective research - the strength of the ties become apparent.  It is this transparency which gives adverse causes and dissenting views access to the weapons of political power and the reasons to enforce it for their collective purposes.

Transparency in government is difficult to achieve without broad based access to information about individuals.  This means information about training and experience, positions held, organizational support, family and connections otherwise.  That information must be widely available and hugely accessible across the board to the public.  That is what constitutes transparency in the governing body politic. 6-15-07

Libby in Jail:  There are two lessons for appointees in the Libby matter:  1)  Don't expect your boss to either want to, or be able to help you when you are in trouble;  2)  The Nuremberg Nazi trials established the rules that everybody is responsible to obey the law on their own - and just 'cause the boss said to do it does not help - ever!  June 6 2007

New Moderate Appointments:  The Bush administration has always had trouble getting reasonable nominees for appointments past the Senate during the years when the Republicans were in power - they always wanted "litmus tests" on contraception, abortion, etc., which was beside the point of many appointments - such as staffing up the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  That made running a government difficult and kept appointments slow.  The Democrats really don't care who is appointed - believing the President has a right to his own administration - as long as he keeps it reasonable.  The Baroody nomination to Consumer Protection was rubbing it in - he was former head of National Association of Manufacturers - that was the fox in the henhouse routine and the Senate forced a withdrawal on that one.  Most of these are short term appointments anyhow.  Less controversy is nice for awhile!  June 8 2007

The Rove Question:  The issue about Karl Rove relates to how much confidentiality the President should have with close advisors.  The idea of Executive privilege is a good one on policy matters.  If the associate in the White House is essentially dealing with party politics and who seems to be using government information illegally probably should be open to Congressional investigation - that has been Rove's role such as in CIA agent Plame setting.  On policy matters for the President - the Privilege has always been protected in general.  The Rove situation will end up with the Congress developing a different way of getting to the problem, such as more structuring of WH jobs in the creating legislation.   If the Congress were serious about it - they could de-fund the position easily enough.  May 31 2007

COUSIN POLITICS:  Presidents come to office with colleagues, staff, and politicians to support an Administration.  That crew is under observation and if there is any flaw, they are under immediate attack.  If those people are "old boys" from Texas or closely tied into the President's immediate political household, the Nation is headed for a dose of "Cousin Politics."

Historically, immediate households or "courts" of Kings, Popes, and Presidents and other heads-of-government, however big or small, of religions or states, have had plenty of trouble with the people around them.  Power does that to people!

The George the Second Presidency brought trouble from Texas - and it's not Texas' fault - it is George's nature.  George the First brought a crew of unusually distinguished people, many of whom are returning to power.  The bite in George W's situation is that he himself is nothing unusual in matters of perception - education - experience - maturity - or judgment.  The end result is that he can't distinguish "good help" from "bad help" - and many of his staff, advisors, and many senior appointees have those same sterling qualities.

"Cousin Politics" shows up regularly all through political history - and always with the same results - a sort of infestation of incompetence that comes in as a group.  The damage is always fracturing to operation of government - history never treats these leaders very well.  With George it has to do with "boot polishing" to the wealthy, and catastrophe to another generation of people done in by war that benefits those same wealthy.

One of the disadvantages of living in one of those periods - if you can survive - is the constant drivel from the mouths and pens of the "Cousin Crowd".  Historically, the collective destruction of this sort of government usually stimulates the best of leadership in succeeding governments, ones devoted to service On Behalf of the People.

Bigots at work:  Two decades and five years of open attack on unity and mutual respect, and religious meanness in the name of an executed Messiah have clearly diminished into what it earned - disrespect - contempt - loss of power.  The gentle reality from the public which executes its power at the ballot box shows the dividers and the bigots - the ones not dying off to meet what they had best hope is a forgiving God - have run their course in history.  The task of decent people and those who understand Christ as a representative of Peace is to be certain the evil side represented by those that pretend to act in God's name as avenging Inquisitors find no traction whatever in the American political process.  May 23 2007

Everybody is going home in 2009:  The Secretary of State has taken a job in California at Stanford - her old stomping grounds - in 2009 when Bush leave office.  Routine business for Presidential Appointees, of course, when the boss runs out of time in office.  Thank the powers that be for the two term Presidential Limit!  May 25 2007

  A System that Works:  Michael Baroody, the President's nominee to head the Nation's primary consumer safety agency, withdrew his nomination from the Senate confirmation process today.  The Bush Administration, with a friendly GOP Senate, managed to select just about anybody for appointments for 6+ years.  This allowed the White House to cripple a number of the government's regulatory agencies, to make dramatic changes in policy, and in many cases, to nominate unqualified people.  The difficulty in this particular situation was Baroody's prior occupation - as a senior officer and lobbyist in the National Association of Manufacturers, and a $150,000 sendoff payment had he been confirmed raised serious problems for consumers and the Senate itself.  The potential conflict of interest was so dramatic that even some Republican Senators could stomach the prospect.  Again, the checks and balances system built into the US Constitution worked right when there is a balance of party interests between the Executive and the Congress.  Don't be surprised if the President takes a shot at the appointment in a Recess Appointment when the Senate is in recess this summer and fall.  May 23 2007

Normal Migration:  Conversations with a senior Presidential Appointee over the last few days included his experience with recruiting from the private sector as the Bush Administration winds down.  He said the salary offers were three times his government pay - which would make them in the area of $400,000/year.  These sorts of offers are not unusual to senior appointees, particularly in regional or national level settings.  I suspect some were for lobbying, but I am sure more were simply to capture his talent which became apparent once appointed.  Both that sort of private sector offer, and poaching off the Executive Appointment lists are legal and perhaps even a good idea for the private sector.  They do tend to occur near the end of Presidential Administrations partly because there has been time for prospectors to find them, and because there is impending unemployment for many appointees - although this guy has a sign which says "goin' fishin' in 2009".  May 22 2007

Wolfie is Out:  The total lack of good judgment, style, courtesy, and taking of responsibility has strengthened our opposition in the World Bank just because Paul Wolfowitz is such an outdated and damaged self-centered political hack.  He's gone at the end of June - thank the powers-that-be - which sound like France and Germany in this conflict.  Again, the inability of the White House and George Bush to run the Country - administer the government - lets trashy self-interest define what the United States is about.  But it is over - and there is a great deal to be said for that!  May 17 2007

   Veterans' Affairs Bonus Conflict:  Officials of the Veterans Affairs agency dispensed substantial bonus payments to themselves in 2006.  Most of those receiving payments sat on the boards making the decision gave themselves major payments.  May 16 2007

Prying Wolfowitz out of the World Bank:  Paul Wolfowitz is trying to negotiate a deal to leave the World Bank gracefully - a concept which is absurdly silly in itself given Wolfie's conduct so far in all that mess.  The core of the problem is Wolfowitz' decision to adjust his girlfriend's paycheck outside the rules - a clear conflict of interest.  The deal is about made - but certainly not very pretty - nasty conflict example.  May 17 2007

Odd and Interesting:  The President is about to nominate Lt. General Douglas Lute to be a War Czar - a press name for new honcho of the Iraqi War operations.  The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.  The decision to proceed this way is in one of the oldest typical executive appointment strategies - it got its start when an early caveman appointed somebody to lead the next hunting party at a time when food searches had been tough - if that person failed at the hunt -  the lead caveman could blame him for the failure.  General Lute is in exactly that situation with this appointment - tough time at war - head caveman needs a scapegoat - for whatever reason Lute takes the job - war collapses further - he gets the blame - only the President and sidekicks think they fool somebody. 5-16-07

Over the Side:  Short term appointments are opening up across the Bush administration as the terms starts to close down.  These are short term because as a job comes along for a present appointment, most feel they had better take the job since all of the present jobs shut down on January 20, 2009 at the end of the Bush II era.  If a Republican is elected President in 2008 - those in appointed now or still in office then will have an inside track for reappointment.  If a Democrat or Independent is elected, the Bush jobs are likely to end. May 14 2007.

Wolfowitz Deal - there's a deal in the works - doesn't sound like a straight up resignation from his position as President of the World Bank - but the result of a lot of word manipulation on the part of Wolfowitz.  There is information from some of the World Bank staff members that Wolfowitz is seeking a major separation payment - the chat is $400,000.00 in severance pay - and it would be tax free!  The White House has backed up on its 100% support for him, and there is political street chat that says he is trying to escape politically unharmed - he'll be out - but politically harmed.  It's essentially a done deal today - but will play out over the next few days.  5-5-07

Firing Presidential Appointees:  "Serving at the Pleasure of the President" can get seriously sticky, as we can see in the US Attorney controversy of the moment.  Regardless of how an appointee gets crosswise with the President or his sidekicks, it is personally offensive to most.  When a term runs out, that is one thing, and when a new President comes into power, that is another.  Resignations for real personal reasons is a routine and common exit.  But being forced out, and becoming the symbol of indiscretion on the part of the White House or because of a tough issue is messy.  It can happen to any appointee in an instant. For students of the Presidential Appointee process, and those considering an appointment, the current controversy is worth watching - just about every good and bad thing about appointments is in the open.  3-23-07

Bad Times for Appointees:  The Army, Attorney General's Operation, and Libby situation are strong examples about how unpleasant life can get for Appointees in Trouble.  It appears that it is going to get worse, particularly in the AG questions.  One clear lesson for appointees is to watch your mouth and conduct in areas where you suspect there is any impropriety at all.  Assistant Attorney General Bill Mercer -  who was a US Attorney I know a little bit - is far too smart a guy to have said and done what he is accused of saying and doing.  I assume the press is generally right in its reporting, and Mercer wasn't expecting everybody around him to reveal everything he had said.  It astonishes me that over the last twenty-five years appointees and staff near the President, as in this case, have documented their stupid statements on e-mail, which they have to know is archived, and is always eventually available to everybody.  It is a time for appointees to study the problems in these three situations - plenty of warnings and lessons here.

Cox Appointment:  We deal with the Recess Appointments issue almost daily, and particularly agree with the assessment that Bush, et al, is essentially an anti-constitutional Presidency. Although he has not used the recess appointment much more than many Presidents, almost every one was offensive to the ideas of Constitutional, lawful government.

There is an important place for recess appointments in emergency situations and the process makes constitutional sense in many hypothetical settings - a few of which have actually happened over the years.

In dealing with Presidential Appointments on a daily basis, we are never surprised at how little attention the Bush government gives the People instead of private, usually economic interests. The Baroody nomination to Consumer Safety is almost certainly going to be another slap in the face of the confirmation process, not to speak of a brutalizing gut punch to the safety of consumers. 4/7/07

US Attorneys will be Confirmed:  The White House struck a deal - under threat of deposing the Attorney General - to cooperate in re-establishing the old confirmation requirement.  As a bonus, the President is going to get to explain the apparently political firings of several incumbents.  Had to happen - the Senate guards its confirmation power carefully - and it stops any creep to tyranny in these appointments. 3-10-07

Libby Conviction:  The Libby conviction - the conviction of a federal appointee on a subject dealing with his appointee job - is a serious reminder to all government employees - and appointees in particular - to tell the truth and not protect the boss.  Whether the Vice President was involved or not is a matter for history - a long way down the line - but Libby is going to pay for his illegal conduct - big time!  The importance for this site is for potential appointees to understand how much scrutiny is applied to Executive Appointees.  3-10-07 See Plausible Deniability Comments - at Power

US Attorney Squabble:  Accusations of improper politics, politicized US Attorneys, politics muddying up Federal cases have arisen across the US as several US Attorney's have been fired by the White House.  

US Attorneys are always appointed by the President, usually sought out by the Justice Department to take the jobs - ones which are very senior, highly paid, of high prestige and important plums because they are geographic in every state and very powerful.  There is no more powerful prosecutor in the United States than local United States Attorneys.

There are intense hearings about both the reported political firings of US Attorneys by the White House and the changes in the amended Patriot Act to require confirmation of Presidential nominees.  The political aspects of the firings are important - particularly if they find that the Attorneys were fired for failure to toe the White House political line.  Nothing too new about that, but it hasn't gotten a lot of press for decades.

The end of all this will surely result in confirmation requirements - and it will tighten up the use of US Attorneys for inappropriate political acts - there will be less of it.  The whole exercise should educate all of us, and move the national corps of US attorneys and their associates closer to work On Behalf of the People.

Commission Consensus:  The President's appointment of the Dole Commission on Veteran's Medical Care is a classic Commission Appointment.  The Commission in Power Politics does for the President what a Rehabilitation hospital does for a public drunk - shifts the responsibility for screwing up.  This President appointed the 9-11 Commission after blistering attacks from survivor families, and the Iraq Commission after a verbal spanking from his Daddy and Buddies.  The Dole Commission shouldn't expect much in light of history - the President trashed the previous Commissions - and the consensus is that he lost position with the public by doing that.  However, Presidential appointments of Commissions and Committees are important in managing consensus in any government.  Take a look at Commissions and Committees at Power Strategies.  3/11/07

Phony to Front:  The President's underpinnings for the Iraqi War were clearly phony before the War started - and they have rotted out completely since - for all 3100+ dead US  soldiers, and tens of thousands of Iraqis blown apart or executed.  There is something wrong here someplace!

Presidential Appointees bend over and kiss the Blarney Stone right on cue - the latest episode released today - written by the Inspector General of the Pentagon - says U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith tuned up otherwise "murky" intelligence findings of the CIA and other agencies to hook up Saddam with al Qaeda.

Just  what the President ordered - or at least needed - to improve the phony crap he used to justify the War.

If all this were the first instance of a Bush appointee being unethical, being a liar, being under indictment for lying, exaggerating no facts into international policy, stealing billions of paper money in Iraq, or delivering the litany of other mean, miserable, "moral center" driven government acts - etc etc!  - it would be one thing.  But its not - it's many things - day after day after day!

The People are stuck with this White House for something less than two more years - and we couldn't stop the Rush-to-War which has enthralled so many Americans - but we can pick people - Democrat - Republican - or otherwise - who can spell and apply Integrity and Straightforward and Truth.  As a free society, we can absorb a huge number of Fools and survive - but it would be a thriller to find even one in the Bush government that would work ON Behalf of the People.

Cutting Cheney Down to Size:  The new Secretary of the Treasury Paulson simply ignored the muscle of Cheney today on This Week on ABC - the VP said there had to  be certain preconditions to a new look at Social Security this year in Congress - Paulson not only ignored that position - but firmly said the President said there were no pre-conditions to SS discussions.  Until recently - such a position would have cost a Cabinet Secretary his job.   "Hey Cheney -- go sit by your dish!"  3-4-07

Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey:  The Army Secretary bit the dust this week over the treatment of soldiers at Army medical facilities - fired by Secretary of Defense Gates along with high ranking Generals who directly commanded the hospitals.  It is a political issue, of course, but also an accountability statement by Gates.  This is a confirmable appointment without a nominee as of 3/3/07.  (See letter - lower right.  Have an opinion?? - send it to Director@Presidential-Appointments.org for publication here.)   

Not Enough Whiskers:   Nothing is more apparent in the US Attorney's matter, and in much of the other conduct of the Bush Administration is that the whole crowd doesn't have enough experience to run the place.  As we watch officials on TV, inexperience shows through - big time - inexperience in everything, even in the lies they try to sell - can't ever get that sorted out.  The American People are damn intolerant of politicians who are liars in public matters. 4-1-07

Executive Appointee Misconduct:  Throughout the history of executive appointments, criminal misconduct related to the job duties and personal criminal misconduct have plagued the process of governing.  A variety of civil violations and indiscrete personal and sexual liaisons often have had catastrophic political impacts.  Obviously, Presidents and other Executives - Kings - Bishops - Mayors and others have themselves had similar issues - Presidents Nixon and Clinton being recent US examples.  

Concerted efforts to sort out high risk candidates obviously fail to some extent - regards of political party affiliations.  It requires more of a national positive standard of conduct and expectation of good conduct to lessen damage to all of us from appointees who err.

Here is a current example of such personal conduct issues which impact the society:

Lester Crawford:  The former Chair of the Food and Drug Administration is admitting failure to disclose stock ownership and committing other violations suggesting conflict of interest.  A Bush appointee, he served something more than a year in the position.  These criminal violations triggered his resignation from the appointed position and incurred  various criminal penalties.   (10-16-06)

SCIENCE AND POLITICS  The endless struggle between Science and Politics - through all of history - is footloose and very much in the open in early 21st Century relationships.  During the second Bush administration, that conflict burst into open intellectual conflict where the weapons of war are electronic communications, government money, Presidential appointments, the aspirations and politicians and scientists, the avarice of money makers, perceived and investigated fact with an outrageous overlay of religious dogma and evangelistic fervor.  Sans the house arrest - it sounds like the struggle of Galileo about issues of astronomy and Earth v. Sun and which circles which! (January 31 07)

Indian Affairs:  The top Indian administrator - the Assistant Secretary of the Interior - Indian Affairs, has been vacant for two years because of an anonymous hold by a Republican Senator for more than two years.  Indian Affairs administers fundamental services for more than 500 Tribes on subjects from education to the testy area of casinos.  I have watched Presidential appointments through the administrations of twelve Presidents - rarely is there a more blatant abuse of Presidential power and Senatorial duties of Advice and Consent than in this situation.

      Whether it is White House obstinacy in not making another choice, or Senatorial silliness which allows hidden holds on appointments - the real issues undoubtedly relate to Indian lands or Indian gambling operations.  The real damage is to Indian children and Indian sick.

     Further, the Presidential Appointments process - which is sticky and quirky on good days - really fails when it is used to prevent the administration of services to a significant number of American citizens - original American citizens, at that.

John Isaacson, Director@Presidential-Appointments.org (Written for the Chicago Tribute Letters to the Editor, 3/3/07.

Belly-Up Presidential Candidates:  The number of Presidential Candidates for 2008 has begun to slim - at least two have gone Belly-Up on money and support.  If you happen to end up supporting one of the candidates who have failed, or will fail, move your preparation for an appointment to a candidate still in the fight.  You have some power in that move because you will bring a certain amount of your own constituency to the new candidate - that is important in the business of assembling power by the candidates.  Don't assume that because you stood behind a particular candidate that you are weak - exactly the opposite is true!  March 1 2007

Consumer Product Safety Commission:  President Bush nominated Michael Baroody, Executive Vice President and senior lobbyist of National Association of Manufactures to be Chairman - 3/2/07- raising hackles among  Consumer Rights groups.  Expected to to be Confirmed - relatively routinely by Senate.  March 3 2007  (President later withdrew nomination.)

Payback Time - Greenspan on Iraq War Oil - 9-23-07

Rove goes over the Side - an important change in the WH. 9-3-07

Gonzales Resignation:  FBI Investigation is trouble for the AG. 9-3-07

Puppet Government:  Bush in Trouble in Iraq - 8-15-07

The Pros:  Problems in the McCain Campaign July 30 2007

Headed to the Safety of Home - Mercer Headed for the Hills.  7-01-07

Threads of Power - Who's related to whom? 7-1-07

Libby in Jail - Paying the Piper 6-15-07

New Moderate Appointments - A Change in Bush Style 6-14-07

Appointee Books - Tenent Tries to Sell It.  5-10-07

Wolfowitz Corruption - Straight up Hypocrisy 5-5-07

Strange White House - Appointments Problems 5-5-07

Nuisance Spouses-pre-President Appointments - Ambassador Bill Clinton? 4-25-07

Wolfowitz Money Muscle - Personal use of the People's Power. 4-19-07

Imus as an Exponent of Divide 'em Up Politics - Using hate to govern. 4-13-07

Recess Appointments as a Political Issue - Self-Destruction by a Dead-Duck Presidency 4-12-07

Shots over the Shoulder:  Former Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Alan Greenspan has been commenting - negatively - saying there is a 1/3 chance of a recession before 2008.  This is in direct conflict with the optimistic view of the new Chairman.  This is an example of Presidential Appointees wanting to continue to influence things after they leave office - usually not very productive!  In this case it is a better than even bet that Greenspan has a retrospective book ready for publication and is stirring up sales. This is an easy way to damage a good reputation for the retiree.  3/8/07

Carl Artman Confirmed:  This nominee to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, Department of Interior was confirmed today - 3/5/07 - by the United States Senate.  This ends a two year vacancy in this position. 3-05-07

The President: ZERO  The Scientists:  WON:  The decades long struggle in the laboratory finally burst through in recent weeks - demolishing the solid wall of political-economic avarice and fear global warming - objective scientific fact proving its viability through the enormous efforts of thousands of skilled people - and in the process  - it simply overcame the power of economic selfishness.  February 7 2007

The President is only the current exponent of economic muscle which, in overlapping political eras, has attempted to keep the planet's struggle with warmth a matter to be dealt with later, rather than sooner.  Now science can deal with how to manage the Earth's excess heat - industry and politicians can comply!  (February 7 2007)

Appointee Books - The Tenent Book on his stint at the CIA is a nice try at squaring the record on what the CIA did and didn't know about 9-11 - Iraq - A Bombs.  Judgment on this one may have to wait for the long judgment of history - the book is interesting but not necessarily persuasive for George Tenet's view.  However irritating it may be to George II and the White House - and given that the CIA isn't gonna talk about it - the book seems thin based on what is on the record so far.  Tenent surely made some retirement money, but it is not going to make Cheney or the President liars by itself.  5-5-07  

Strange White House:  Bush Presidential Appointees are under scrutiny from the World Bank to the back rooms of the White House itself.  Some of that conduct is genuinely outrageous when measured against any common sense idea of good and honest government - if the players had any realistic idea of how silly they look in a world of quick and complete communications worldwide - they might change.  The Bush-Rove-Meir-Gonzales Texas package has demonstrated a unique brand of personal immaturity, ignorance of history, juvenile political skill and general simple-mindedness which has gotten them into a fierce conflict with US Constitutional government.  Worse, they are easy victims of the dedicated manipulation of the Cheney oil and economic crowd which sees government as a tool of economic imperialism rather than a servant of the People.  These kinds of caricatures apply in all historic governments - the Nation's Founders knew this when they devised the structures of our Constitutional system - and now that system is putting the blocks to the whole crowd we identify as the George W. Bush Administration.  4-21-07

Of Special Interest to those seeking Appointments:  Many Bush appointees are moving on - and leaving behind only a couple of years on many appointee positions.  The are essentially lame-duck exits - and some are rats leaving the sinking ship.  In practice, however - this is true of most administrations as a President's term begins to wind down - people start moving on.  See Appointments for more information and ideas on these appointments. (9-9-06)

NASA Appointments:   Recent Bush appointees have faced some struggle in their appointments, including resignations.  A new link at NASA Appointments provides helpful information about those appointments and how NASA works with them.  This is a helpful resource if you are considering positions there. (2-20-06)

Watching the Troops:  The President recently issued an Executive Order which provides that a senior political appointee approve regulations promulgated by various agencies and departments of the Executive Branch.  This Presidential appointee is placed there to keep those regulations in line with Presidential policy.

This change is really just an adjustment of an earlier Clinton order - but this step has stirred up plenty of opposition from essentially every side of the political spectrum.  At its base, this is an objection to more political control, regardless of the particular subject involved or the President doing it.  In principle - that sort of objection is healthy as a part of the idea of open government.

There is a point, however, in some sort of Presidential policy supervision for the huge number of agencies producing such regulations.  This is one of the arguments for having loyal and responsible political appointees  who "serve at the pleasure of the President" to enforce the White House position on various matters. (February 1 2007) 

The Only Solution in Iraq:  The solution to Iraq has more historic issues than are being considered in the present blogging and commenting on that War.

The entire affair is unsolvable in any form except a retreat by the US - whatever it is to be called. That comes from an understanding of the history and demographics of that part of the world - a place outrageously hostile to outside invasions - they just never work. The area is prepared - and always has been prepared on a tribal basis - to fight in horrible ways among themselves - but connive against invading and occupying forces outside their self defined neighborhood.

When we can think with history in mind - and believe that history is still intact - then none of the current machinations in Washington mean anything - it just isn't going to work over there. Now we - as a very powerful society - are dependent on that moment when this or some future President finally can put his mind in place of his or her pride and obstinacy and take another look at the history of that primal part of the Earth. 04-08-07

Caught in the Act:  An international conference of Scientists in Paris today set out proof that the Bush Administration had muscled scholars to eliminate key words in papers about the environment.  The words were "global warming" and phrases referring to temperature change. Over-enthusiastic Bushies changed offensive words without authors' permission and published some of the papers in changed form.  Ouch!

Bush appointments have been forced from office at NASA for similar acts of intellectual integrity.  Source:  Union of Concerned Scientists  01-30-07

Imus as an Exponent of Divide 'em Up Politics:  A cornerstone of the Conservative Movement since the Roosevelt Administration in the 1930's has been the age old "Divide and Conquer" strategy.  The divisive weapons have been words to divide races, religions, ethnic groups, sexes, and income groups.  That strategy has been weakening in the presence of Conservative control of Congress and the White House.  It has slowly become apparent as a strategy as Rove, Limbaugh, countless politicians - and personalities like Don Imus - emerge as mouths of a cynical plan to pander to the world of the insecure, largely white Protestant, self-centered "baby-boomers" and the white, male, redneck who has lost his dominant role since World War II.  Don Imus simply turned that strategy into an audience and a ton of money for everybody involved - advertisers, media, his staff, and himself.  "Times Are a'Changin'" for that policy - Imus is an early loser for his self-immersion in those divisive politics. 4-13-07

Shots over the Shoulder:  Former Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Alan Greenspan has been commenting - negatively - saying there is a 1/3 chance of a recession before 2008.  This is in direct conflict with the optimistic view of the new Chairman.  This is an example of Presidential Appointees wanting to continue to influence things after they leave office - usually not very productive!  In this case it is a better than even bet that Greenspan has a retrospective book ready for publication and is stirring up sales. This is an easy way to damage a good reputation for the retiree.  3/8/07

Cutting Cheney Down to Size:  The new Secretary of the Treasury Paulson simply ignored the muscle of Cheney today on This Week on ABC - the VP said there had to  be certain preconditions to a new look at Social Security this year in Congress - Paulson not only ignored that position - but firmly said the President said there were no pre-conditions to SS discussions.  "Hey Cheney -- go sit by your dish!" 3-4-07

Indian Affairs:  The top Indian administrator - the Assistant Secretary of the Interior - Indian Affairs, has been vacant for two years because of an anonymous hold by a Republican Senator for more than two years.  Indian Affairs administers fundamental services for more than 500 Tribes on subjects from education to the testy area of casinos.  I have watched Presidential appointments through the administrations of twelve Presidents - rarely is there a more blatant abuse of Presidential power and Senatorial duties of Advice and Consent than in this situation.

Whether it is White House obstinacy in not making another choice, or Senatorial silliness which allows hidden holds on appointments - the real issues undoubtedly relate to Indian lands or Indian gambling operations.  The real damage is to Indian children and Indian sick.

Further, the Presidential Appointments process - which is sticky and quirky on good days - really fails when it is used to prevent the administration of services to a significant number of American citizens - original American citizens, at that.

John Isaacson, Director@Presidential-Appointments.org (Written for the Chicago Tribute Letters to the Editor, 3/3/07.

The Political Whip: Robert Pear's observation about losing an appointment in the Bush Administration because he had not worked for the Bush operation in one form or another reflects the policy of the President in patronage appointments. Huge talents are lost to the country on a daily basis because of this policy.

His points illustrate exactly why the Civil Service was created and why patronage is so limited at the federal level. I deal with this issue every day at Presidential-Appointments.org and with rare exceptions, always lose an appointment if the political connections are not strong. A similar sort of litmus test is often applied for other standards, as well, such as a candidate's position on "right to life" issues or guns, even though the appointment has nothing to do with those subjects.

In general, the political standard is about as aggressive for both parties. For that reason, statutes creating some committees and commissions require some sort of party distribution to enforce some political balance in the appointments to those activities.

In the last 3-4 decades, the Republicans have been extremely aggressive in enforcing candidate or party loyalty, but the Clinton, Johnson, Truman and Roosevelt administrations were certainly not amateurs at political control.

Loyalty to the reigning administration probably justifies some of this political requirement. It is particularly destructive when extraordinarily "one-of-a-kind" candidates cannot be appointed. For example, highly creditable scientists were kept from appointments if they published material suggesting global warming was scientifically supported. The science community has been particularly abused during the Bush era where dissent is tantamount to heresy. Such abuse has been brutal and often carried over into blocking funding for those scientists who would not buy the party line. Stem cell research, like earlier HIV research are samples of that.

Mr. Pear, even if apolitical, will not find much access to the Bush administration, even though he is well-qualified and recommended. The political "whip" is an old weapon and is usually well-applied by the White House.  (Robert Pear applied for a position in one of the departments with the support of his potential supervisor only to be turned down because he had not supported the Bush politically.)
Libby on Trial

Presidential Press Secretaries have a tough wire to walk - and get themselves in trouble in most administrations.  God forbid they should tell the truth! 2-5-07

US Attorney Appointments:  The core problem with US Attorney appointments is the 2006 change in the law that allows those appointments to be made by the White House without Senate confirmation. First, it makes it easier for the White House to appoint aggressively political lawyers as US Attorneys without any public examination by the Senate. There is nothing new in our experience with US Attorney appointments after twelve Presidents worth of those appointments to suggest they are not highly political and closely tied for the most part to the politics of the Administration. Second, change at the option of the White House and the Attorney General is one sort of issue deserving public comment, but not having those appointments confirmed by the Senate is a solid example of creeping tyranny. John Isaacson, Director@Presidential-Appointments.org. (Posted to Washington Pose Blog 3/3/07)

Presidential Succession: The Presidential succession question-well outlined by Mr. (Norman) Ornstein - raises the question of qualifications for a successor President. We have observed a huge number of Presidential Appointments at over the course of eleven Presidents and believe that in general - few Cabinet appointed Cabinet officers look much like emergency Presidents - and senior elected Congressional leaders do look like experienced people by definition of long experience. In the US we have not been plagued by many coup issues that we know about - but coup succession is much more plausible on the executive cabinet side which is more fluid than the relatively staid - long service legislative succession. John Isaacson, Director@Presidential-Appointments.org. (Posted to Washington Post Blog 3/3/07)

White House - Senate Battle on Recess appointments on Recess page:  Important application of "Checks and Balances" Constitutional policy at work!  11 19 07

Miers and Bolton in the Soup:  The Bush "screw the law" attitude appears to be leading to a contempt of Congress citation from the House today......  11 16 07

Shadow Staffs: for the 2009 White House are starting to appear. Check here for details. 11-15-07

No New Consumer Chair:   The increasing heat about dangerous toys applied to the CPSC is not getting any support for the White House to change things.  The long term policy of the GOP to avoid business regulation is the issue.  11 8 07

Appointees in Trouble:  A federal Judge has approved subpoenas for senior Bush appointees to testify in court.  There is sure to be an appeal by the White House on theory of "Executive Privilege" and national Security.  11 2 07 (1 pm MDT)

CPSC - Nord on way out:  The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been in the hands of "Bush Regulators" for several years, people committee to the business computer where consumers are protected only when product violations are flushed into the open.  Staffs are small, and the leadership is pure business, from top to bottom.  Nancy Nord, the acting chair, is in the soup today - toys loaded with lead are doing her in, not to speak of the use of manufacturer's planes, golf courses, and free lunch.  The Congress and the press are out for her head, and are likely to get it. November 2 2007  

Mukasey Slipping:  In mid-September Judge Mukasey looked like a sure thing for confirmation to be Attorney General.  The he let himself continue even though the White House makes him fudge on the water boarding issue before the Senate.  That translates to the position that he won't deny water boarding for the civilian side of the government - the CIA, etc.,  and may not pass the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Don't be surprised if he withdraws his nomination - he could lose this one.  Sounds like a good man trapped by a bad President.  11 1 07

PR Guy Gone:  Last week a FEMA PR guy threw a press conference with phony reporters from FEMA and no real ones.  Philbin - the guy in charge - a Presidential Appointee - said he was headed for a new job for the National Intelligence Director.  Today 10-29-06 - he is headed for a new job out of government - he learned about "Pleasure of the President" service and got canned for a really stupid move in calling the fake press conference at FEMA.  10-29-07

No Radiation Pills:  Bush appointees at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are defying Congress by refusing to distribute anti-radiation pills (harmless potassium chloride) near Nuclear facilities for fear that it will make people frightened.  Bush favors business over people again, and defies the citizen right to know and make decisions about their own bodies and safety.  10-28-07

NASA Tearing up Paper:  NASA has been cornered for tearing up - trying to bury information - on commercial airline near accidents and risks.  NASA doesn't usually get itself into this sort of PR trouble, but Bush appointees have tried to muscle unpopular information more than once in recent years.  It is a reasonable bet that this is a political appointee carrying out a "protect the Party" scheme.  10-24-07

"Serving at the Pleasure of the President" - an anniversary:  October 20 was the 34th Anniversary of the Nixon "Saturday Night Massacre" - the Granddaddy of Presidential firings. Nixon was under legal attack by the Justice Department on the Watergate Break In - so fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox and Deputy Attorney General William B. Ruckelshaus.  The Attorney General, Elliot L. Richardson, immediately resigned.  All of this illustrates the power of the President to fire administration appointees.  10-21-06

Attorney General Nomination:  10-28-07  -  Snapped by the Boss:  On his second day before the Senate Confirmation hearing, Mukasey went over the hill on his clear stance on torture issue - clearly somebody at the White House pulled his chain overnight - now the candidate is vague and unwilling to answer clearly.  Unfortunate!!  -- The Bush AG nominee is making friends in the Senate with firm positions about Department of Justice administration, even apparent opposition to the torture decisions of the administration.  It looks like a confirmation is in the works. 10-28-07

Orr Policy Appointment:  The President appointed Orr to head the Family Planning division of Health and Human Services - she is an in depth anti-family planning person.  This is how the appointment process can be used to establish policy - to enforce policy.  However irritating it is to family planning supporters - this sort of appointment is exactly how the system is designed to work.  The appointment position itself is not subject to confirmation - and in this particular case - Orr is an interim appointment. 10-29-07

10-28-07 Updates:  Empty Slots:  Bush leaving jobs unfilled!  Blog Talk:  Blog Responses - the PA staff view expressed -  Appointees in Trouble - Gonzales' Lawyer -  Interesting Current Events - 600 young appointments with qualifications in questions - Recess Appointments - Drug Fix - Consumer Safety-No Chair - Attorney General Nominee - preparing for the Senate confirmation.

Interesting Confirmation Problems - Current Problems in the Senate   October 28 2007

Gotcha!! Really Sticky Times for Justice Appointees:  A Department of Justice Appointee announced today she will not testify before Congress -  under any condition - including under subpoena - and will exert the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination if forced to appear.  She and her attorneys fear criminal charges!  AG Gonzales ought to be polishing up his resume if this mess has gotten this far and he is not taking steps explain it.  Lots and lots of trouble in the offing - almost surely - not to speak of a ton of trouble for the President - if you were in Washington DC tonight - the White House and the Department of Justice would appear to be on opposite sides of the world! 3-27-07

Creeping Tyranny:  The last Session of Congress  passed a little noticed amendment to the Patriot Act which, in impact, authorizes the President to dismiss United States Attorneys without cause, then appoint his choice without Senate confirmation.  By early 2007, a substantial number of those appointments have been made -   without Senate approval - or disapproval.  

Confirmation of US Attorneys was put into the law to limit  the power of the White House to select US Attorneys to manage particular cases or causes.  Needless to say, when the President can bypass Senate review on the senior prosecutors in the country, enormous opportunities for abuse exist.  This statutory sample of the "checks and balances" process failing can correctly be called "creeping tyranny." 

New legislation to reestablish the confirmation requirement has been introduced and may well be passed by the Congress controlled by the Democrats, although President Bush could easily veto that bill.  Eventually, it will be passed and until then, the US Attorney's will be under close scrutiny.

By custom, the Senators from states where US Attorney and Federal Judge appointments are being made have high influence in confirmation proceedings in the Senate.  Those Senators will be eager, regardless of party,  to regain that power. But it is the political conflict between the Executive and the Congress that works to the service of the citizen because agendas are examined and important information about candidates made public.

Through all of US history - and all history in general - people in power have moved to enhance their power.  It is part of the territorial imperative that this should be so - and it is part of the civilizing process that the conflict between various powers be regulated.  In the US, we do that through the elaborate checks and balances built into the Constitution and subsequent laws.  

The Bush Administration, partly through the struggles of war - and partly through the forces of overpaid and over energetic seeking of power - has often failed to genuinely provide their services On Behalf of the People.

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Copyright John Isaacson  2003 - 2008

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