[conshack]

I thought this kind of housecleaning was done at the beginning of an asministration.

[streetpreacher]

This is payback for the way the Clinton Intelligence Agency (oxymoron) keeps stabbing the President in the back trying to secure a Kerry win. Maybe the "New Tone/Uniter, not a Divider" stuff wasn't such a good idea after all.

[piasa]

Too "clean" a house leaves your new hirees completely vulnerable to being blamed for things which occur due to former administation's foulups. And things will occur no matter how thorough you clean house - actions set in motion years prior can and will come to fruition in time to bite the most honorable and responsible people on the butt. The press will blame whoever's there when things go wrong- not who instigated it or concealed it long enough for it to fall on someone else's watch. They'll do it even if a tragedy occurs the day after they take office.

It's wise to leave your enemies close sometimes, if only to be in a position to receive when you redirect the inevitable political mud to where it rightfully belongs.