Joel Mowbray: Will Condi reform the State Department?

TownHall.com ^ | November 24, 2004 | Joel Mowbray

[Tolik]

In naming Condoleezza Rice as his pick for Secretary of State, President Bush is sending his most loyal adviser to his most disloyal agency: the State Department.  But no matter what changes she makes—and many are needed—the bureaucracy at State is entrenched almost to the point of being impenetrable, meaning real reform could well prove illusory.

Ms. Rice will soon take the reins of a massive 47,000-employee operation that is literally sprawled out across the world.  It is an insular institution that operates remarkably similarly from one administration to the next, typically viewing presidents, as one Foreign Service Officer puts it, as the “summer help.” 

Never has this been more apparent than during the past four years.

After President Bush gave his “axis of evil” speech, U.S. embassy employees in Paris and elsewhere fanned out to assure nervous Europeans that the president didn’t mean “axis” and he didn’t mean “evil.”

When the rest of the Bush administration was following the president’s post-9/11 leadership by doing everything possible to thwart terrorism, the State Department was busy keeping open a program known as Visa Express, which allowed every resident in the country that sent us 15 of 19 terrorists—Saudi Arabia—to apply for visas at travel agencies.

And anyone who opens a newspaper knows that “anonymous” State Department officials routinely trash the president and his foreign policy, particularly in Iraq and the Middle East.  No one from this State Department has received so much as a slap on the wrist for such rampant insubordination.

How did the Foreign Service operate in open opposition to the president, particularly with a loyal soldier like Colin Powell at the helm? 

Rather than reforming the State Department and its conformist culture, Mr. Powell saw his role as one of tireless advocate for the Foreign Service and its positions, never putting quite the same energy into getting his subordinates to support the president as he himself did.

But the State Department’s rabid distaste for bold new ideas long precedes Colin Powell, as does its worshipping at the altar of “stability,” the doctrine that the world is safest when left unchanged. 

The irony is that “stability” also defines the composition of the State Department, because outside of a small number of political appointees, almost all substantive positions must be held by careerists who have no particular loyalty to any president—least of all this one. 

The Secretary of State is in many ways a glorified cat herder.  All hiring, firing, transferring, and promoting is handled not by the Secretary, but by panels comprised of members of the Foreign Service.  The Secretary of State isn’t even able to fire a convicted felon—including when that felony is for defrauding the State Department.

The most effective Secretary of State in recent memory, both in terms of motivating the rank and file and getting them to support a president’s agenda that they otherwise wouldn’t, was George Shultz.  He had three meetings every morning before 9:30, including at least one with non-executives.  Yet though he was loved at State, he was only marginally effective in getting his department on board with President Reagan.

While many have complained that Condi was not an effective manager at the National Security Council—with most critics pointing to the raging interagency debates—there is one aspect of her record that is perhaps more troubling: the makeup of her NSC staff. 

Though she often sided with Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, her NSC is largely comprised of career members of the Foreign Service and the CIA and foreign policy elites whose worldview could not be more starkly different than the president’s. 

She needs to reverse that trend if she hopes to change her new agency, because reliance on careerists was Mr. Powell’s greatest failure.

General Powell trusted his foot soldiers and consequently ushered in an era of Foreign Service dominance over most key leadership posts—spots normally reserved for political appointments.  Given that the Foreign Service already controlled 99% of substantive positions, there has been little internal dissent, or even discussion.

“Powell let the Foreign Service run the place, and the White House won’t let that happen again,” notes an administration official, who adds that there will almost certainly be a sharp increase in appointments of people more supportive of the president’s worldview.

Condi Rice could be a solid Secretary of State, but the obstacles in her path are substantial—and her track record is not entirely encouraging.  But at least she meets the first requirement: she knows her job is to serve the president, not the bureaucracy.

[Tolik]

Troubling !

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of good stuff that is worthy attention. I keep separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson, Lee Harris, David Warren, Orson Scott Card. You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about).

[nina0113]

I sure hope so - I used to slug into DC (see http://www.slug-lines.com/) and I'd get rides with assorted State Dept. people who would spend the entire drive criticizing the President and his policies in the most contemptuous language. I don't understand how someone can have so little integrity as to continue to work for a leader he despises.

[Cicero]

For the past 60 years, nobody has been able to reform Foggy Bottom. Not Eisenhower, not Nixon, not Reagan.

I'll be very pleased if Condi makes a start. But she'll need some good, trusty deputies, because cleaning house is a full time job, and she'll have other concerns to occupy her time.

[Tolik]

"little integrity" - that's the point

[Tolik]

Yes, send in Newt and Zell!

[McGavin999]

I think you call a meeting of all foreign service workers and tell them we are at war. If they don't support this president and the US war effort, there is a nice job waiting for them in the worst hellhole on the planet, and we will not be at all adverse to transferring them immediately.

[Carry_Okie]

But the State Department’s rabid distaste for bold new ideas long precedes Colin Powell, as does its worshipping at the altar of “stability,” the doctrine that the world is safest when left unchanged.

"Stability" is what global investors think is good for them, regardless if "stability" hinges upon "tyranny." When tyranny brings instability, they whine to the taxpayers to protect "American interests." Never mind that those interests are founded upon exported taxpayers' jobs while depending upon taxpayers to fund security.

I can't stand these people.

[princess leah]

PINK SLIPS - CONDI SHOULD ISSUES THOUSANDS OF PINK SLIPS FIRST OFF TO EVERY CLINTON HIREE. Then, run a litmus test (yep I said LITMUS TEST!) and see who wants a) America's safety first b) willing to think outside the box and c)respects the President whether or not they voted for him...

[Carry_Okie]

PINK SLIPS - CONDI SHOULD ISSUES THOUSANDS OF PINK SLIPS FIRST OFF TO EVERY CLINTON HIREE.

Can't do that under the Civil Service Code. One can make their lives miserable until they leave. We need to open LARGE foreign service offices in Chad, Burundi, Malawi, Turkmenistan, Georgia, The Falkland Islands, Estonia, Belorussia, Mongolia, the Orkney Islands, Lesotho, Ivory Coast, and Rwanda.

Of course, with our military stretched so thin, they'll have to provide their own protection.

[Carry_Okie]

Of course, with our military stretched so thin, they'll have to provide their own protection.

Oh, and because they've got diplomatic immunity, they won't need vaccinations!

[Travis McGee]

Can't happen. All transfers and postings are strictly doled out by panels of career DOS officials. The political side can't penetrate that system. Punishment and reward within the DOS is 100% controlled by DOS career officers.

[Travis McGee]

LOL!

Yes, let's start sending them to mandatory Outward Bound type "leadership and teamwork seminars" in Alaska.

Surplus Army tents, ponchos, a box of matches, old army blankets. Each food cache is a day's hike through the forest and mountains.

"You wanna be in the State Department???"

Lots of combat veteran junior and field grade officers would enjoy making the transition to State.

[wildbill]

"All hiring, firing, transferring, and promoting is handled not by the Secretary, but by panels comprised of members of the Foreign Service. The Secretary of State isn’t even able to fire a convicted felon..."

If this is true, is this caused by an act of Congress or custom. If an act of Congress, this is an intrusion into the Executive branch which is probably against the Constitution. If a custom, then it needs to be changed.

[Tolik]

I hear about all these entrenched rules, how even the Secretary can't fire a State employee. Its totally amazing and I can't believe that nothing can be done.

What, The President can't fire a federal employee?
Don't they have some hundreds of lawyers in the Justice?

Can't he use an executive order, after all, to change things around?

[wildbill]

Firing civil service workers for political purposes is against the law. Most of the state department employees are career civil service employees and therefore immune to being fired.

What a Sec. of State should be able to do to recalcitrant employees who refuse to support the foreign policy of ANY administration is to reassign them. Moving a bureaucrat from a cushy Washington post or a glamor Ambassadorship to a post in Faroutahereistan should serve pour encourager les autres.

[Carry_Okie]

Can't he use an executive order, after all, to change things around?

The Congress violated the Separation of Powers principle when they usurped executive authority to hire and fire with the Civil Service Code.

[Carry_Okie]

Yes, let's start sending them to mandatory Outward Bound type "leadership and teamwork seminars" in Alaska.

I like it. Heck, there are people who PAY for that kind of treatment (usually liberals, conservatives just go do it), so I'm certain our DOS patriots would be more than glad to participate without pay!

[Travis McGee]

Tell them that military field grade and junior officers will also be invited, and their continued careers at State will depend on their performance.

[Valin]

The problem with the State Dept. is they value "stability" above all.