[Howlin]

How EXACTLY do you "purge" career employees?

[dynachrome]

Castor oil.

[Colonial Warrior]

Reorganize and abolish their job...and it would not be hard weeding out the fat in Washington.

Making their life miserable and pushing through the NSPS system will soon eliminate the automatic pay raises and bonuses.

The deadwood will soon depart. There are many young stars waiting in the wings -- stymied in part by a few diehards.

Government is headed for Performance based pay system, and it is none to soon.

[Antoninus II]

First of all, if the Repubs had EXERCISED they're MAJORITY status, they could have prevented the Federalising of the airport screeners. It's the Unionized, liberal, federal workers that give the Dems an advantage. Reagan proved that it's not written in stone when he fired the air traffic controllers, union be damned. IMO national security during wartime trumps "seniority". Transfer the dead wood, obstructionists to a different dept. The State Dept has a critical role. It should be controlled by the Executive Branch. Not cow-towed to!