A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
Cronyism isn't just a habit of the Bush Administration; it's official policy. Shortly before Bush took office in 2001, Robert Moffit of the neocon Hertiage Foundation drafted a guide called "Taking Charge of Federal Personnel."
Moffit's draft is essentially a Machiavellian how-to manual for politicizing the civil service bureaucracy, which is responsible for running most government agencies. "
ake appointment decisions based on loyalty first and expertise second," he urged Bush. "Picking appointees who are 'best for the job' merely in terms of expert qualifications can be disastrous for an Administration. . ."
When asked about the guide two years ago, Moffit rejoiced: "They apparently are really doing this stuff." (Just like the Administration adapted the American Enterprise Institute's failed proposals for the Iraq War invasion, occupation, and "surge")
ProsecutorGate, anyone? We now know from the released Justice Department internal emails that the U.S. Attorneys were fired because they "chafed against administration initiatives." Though the Attorneys were all Bush appointees to start with, Bush is trying to replace them with new, more submissive political friends who "exhibited loyalty to the president and attorney general."
More here: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/203