A Loyal Bushie Burrows Into Obama's System

[DainBramaged]

The Bush administration's participation in the personnel tactic known as "burrowing" has been well-reported in recent weeks. The practice isn't unique to the Bush crowd; during presidential transitions, political appointees eager to stay on the government payroll often wriggle their way into secure civil service positions -- despite the differing political beliefs of the White House's new occupant.

But because the central objective of burrowing is for political appointees to fly under the radar while Washington changes hands, it's often hard to tell when the practice is actually occurring. Consider the case of Kathie Olsen, who just made a very curious move: going from the No. 2 post at the National Science Foundation to the far less influential job of "senior advisor" in the NSF's Office of Information and Resource Management.

As Science magazine observes, Olsen had already submitted her resignation to the Obama administration and would have been out the door had she not slipped into her new, seemingly secure post. And this isn't just any Bush appointee avoiding the need to find a new job -- Olsen was at the forefront of the former president's systematic denial of the human causes of climate change.

Before becoming deputy director of the NSF, Olsen was the associate director of the Bush White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy. Her immediate boss there was Bush science adviser John Marburger, who was implicated in the 2007 censorship of congressional testimony that would have publicly illustrated the human health risks of the warming climate.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/a-loyal-bushie-burrows-into-obamas-system.php

[bluestateguy]

1. Fire her anyway

Civil service laws are quaint and outdated.

[MADem]

3. No, just downsize the department and eliminate her job. See details below. NT

[MADem]

2. They need to eliminate that position...IMO.

Do it in the spirit of austerity. Target every pesky burrower out there. Why not? Politics is hardball.

Offer her a comparable paygrade position in, oh, Adak, Alaska if she's past her probation period. If she doesn't take it, fuck her. She can hit the bricks.

Then, in three years or so, recreate the job if it matters at all, and open hiring.

That's how you play it.

I had to deal with a shitload of Bush and Reagan burrowers under Clinton. Made it hard to do my job.

[DainBramaged]

4. They are like head lice, just when you think you got them all.....

[MADem]

5. Time to shave that head, then!!!

Heh, heh....

[Jennicut]

12. Ha! They are nasty little bugs, aren't they?

They need to be exterminated, pronto.

[glinda]

6. Like a lump of dirt ready to jam up the gears. She really should go.

[DainBramaged]

7. I am sure she will be marginalized and neutered.

If the press has the story, the Obama squad is working on it.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Anyone Remember Linda Tripp???

If you think they're burrowed in this department, imagine how deep they have their tenatacles into the Justice Department. This is gonna take some time, but at least these people are being "flagged".

My suggestion would be to keep this lady on the move...shift her from job to job, department to department, office to office, city to city...let's see how long she's the "dedicated" public servant she claims she is.

[ThomWV]

9. There are also the civil service hires that were selected for political purity

There are at least 60 of them that we know of at Justice and clearly there are hundreds more throughout the executive agencies. After seeing the testimony of Doan at GSA I would have to to to that agency first to start weeding out the worst of them.

[UTUSN]

10. K&R #4. Give it the Big #5!1 n/t

[mopinko]

11. i say we impeach a few federal judges, just to set an example.

since public hangings are once again off the table.

[bdamomma]

13. they need to weed out these bushie loyals.

they can throw a wrench into the Obama policies.

[DCKit]

14. The qualifications of every person hired or appointed in the past eight years...

need to be gone over with a nit comb.

The fact that this one - a global warming denier and former lead spokesmodel in the most anti-science Administration in history - has put herself in a position to censure both science news and funds, proves she is totally unqualified for this position.