Whoa...Clinton smarter? More devious? Sure. Willing to do anything, and I do mean anything, to get what he wants? Yep, that's Bill Clinton and he has that over President Bush. Bush is constrained by morality and rule of law, whereas Clinton operated as though there were no restrictions and surrounded himself with like minded operatives. But Clinton smarter? I don't think so.
There is nothing illegal, nor immoral, about firing the political appointees of your opponent.
It is the easiest and most effective means of changing the nature of political institutions to share your own political vision.
It is extremely foolish not to do so because you are left with a cadre of embedded opponents who will do everything within their power to make Bush policies ineffective, and make Bush look foolish or even set Bush up with legal liabilities if at all possible.
The CIA is institutionally hostile to Bush. That needn't have been so.
The State department is institutionally hostile to Bush. That needn't have been so.
The Attorney general's office and the FBI are institutionally hostile to Bush.
The government is run by these people. It is not run by President Bush.