[SpyGuy]

Thanks for setting me straight on Wilson *not* being a Clinton holdover in the Bush Administration (unlike so many others).

Still, I would argue that if Bush had replaced most of the senior positions held by Clinton appointees, then a fiasco like this would have been less likely to have occured. In essence, Wilson was sent because of two reasons: 1) No one close to this situation was watching Bush's back; and 2) There were still plenty of people in power that were intent on putting a knife in Bush's back.

[cwb]

That, I can agree on. When CLinton came in, he cleaned house...including the unprecedented, DA Massacre, which allowed him to essentially build a wall of protection from any prosecution. From the DEA to the CIA..to even the Travel Office, Clinton got rid of everybody, including non-partisan career people. And even those he couldn't get rid of, eventually left out of disgust because of mismanagement. Unfortnately, unlike the silence in the media over the Clinton purges, a similar Bush purge would've resulted in a media backlash, accusing the WH of only more deceit and secretiveness. Oh, well..he's being accused of it, anyway.

[PhiKapMom]

There was another problem with replacing some of these Clintonites -- he made them Civil Service instead of polical appointees and if you remember, the RATs in the Senate kept stalling nominations from the beginning not to mention the time before Pres Bush took office was shortened and they wouldn't allow them into Government buildings.

If you ask me, the Clintons orchestrated the whole deal to keep their people in place longer and then blame Pres Bush if something happened for not taking action. Do I believe that the Clintons knew something major was going to happen -- IMO you can take that one to the bank. Believe Clinton intentionally downplayed the Al Qaeda threat to the new Administration!