What would you do in this hypothetical situation?

[Afraid of My Shadow]

You're incensed at the disastrous Bush Administration's policies, one of which is their arrogant sense of self-righteousness. Part of that arrogance is the fact that they refuse to go through the usual channels. Case in point: an appointment that should be subject to Senate confirmation, but has been set up by the administration so that it is not. IOW, they can put anyone they damn well please into that position -- and the people? Hell, screw the people! We're the President!

You have a friend who is intimately acquainted with the Bush camp from pre-TX-governor days and has worked in the Bush White House. You learn that your friend has been appointed to the position in question.

You know this is a plum and you wish to see your friend succeed in her chosen profession and course. You know that your friend is eminently qualified and would acquit herself well.

Yet you are furious that the administration intends to put an insider in a position that's supposed to be independent and impartial, especially since that insider will not be confirmed by the Senate.

Worst of all, your deepest wish -- that the freaking media would hurry up and somehow get a clue about this before it's too late -- isn't happening.

What would you do?

[meegbear]

1. Invade Iraq?

:shrug:

[Military Brat]

2. Totally implausible hypothetical

I seriously doubt I would ever have a "friend" who worked in the bush Whitewash House. His/her standards woul be too low for me to develop and/or maintain a friendship.

If that person were a social acquaintance, I would wish them good luck with the eventual fallout, bid them farewell, and leave it at that.

[Afraid of My Shadow]

3. now that you've established

your superior friend-choosing skills, imagine that this hypothetical is NOT implausible. What would you do?

[bryant69]

4. This is a complicated scenario

I suppose I'd probably find a good book, settle back, and read. That would distract me.

I mean what is there that you can do? If this is a good friend, plowing into him for expecting this position wouldn't be great. Particularly if you believe he would acquit himself well (by which, I assume you mean honorably).

One might write a letter to the editor. Or post on one of those internet message boards.

But that's about it, I'd think.

Bryant
Check it out--> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[felonious thunk]

5. Do you think the media would even do anything?

They don't tend to go after Bush very hard, even on egregious things. And this situation, while arrogant and wrong, is certainly not an unexpected move by the Bush administration. Their entire appointment process is based on putting business insiders into positions with which they can't help but have conflicts of interest.

If you trust that this friend will generally do the right thing, then going to the media would be problematic for the friendship, even if the media does nothing with the info. But if the media does something with the info, then the friendship is almost certainly over.

So what do you value more? Do you really think going to the media will accomplish anything positive?

[Afraid of My Shadow]

6. I hope so.

Unless the appointment is scuttled in the meantime, I believe it'll be reported next week.

I didn't make my decision lightly. For me it was a matter of balancing my loyalty to a new friend and my desire to see some of the wrong done by the Bush administration brought to light. I doubt I'll lose my friend. I would have lost my self-respect if I had said nothing.

[Afraid of My Shadow]

7. They've done something, all right. It's small.

But it's there. And sooner than expected.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1775-2004Jan8.html

"Do you really think going to the media will accomplish anything positive?"

We'll see now.

[blondeatlast]

8. Tip off the media, then leave it at that.

It would assuage my guilty conscience so that I wouldn't obsess over it.

[Afraid of My Shadow]

9. excellent advice --

the same I gave myself before I tipped the Post. Although I have no guilt; I did it out of the need to see what is right done in Washington, and out of anger that the Bush administration seems to believe that only what they say is right is right.