[thegreatbeast]

Putting that aside, the discovery of McCarthy does make you wonder how many more of her ilk have squirreled themselves into the bureaucracy, from where they seek to undermine the country.

AMEN. And in other government agencies too, such as State Dept and the UN.

Exactly, and you have to ask yourself the question as to why the Bush administration didn't sweep out, or at least make harmless, all Clinton appointees. It seems so elemental.

[ClancyJ]

Yes, guess this whole mess is again Bush's fault. Afterall, Bush is our elected superbody to do all "government" for us as we just sit and watch (and criticize).

Wonder how long before there are fifty "Bush fault" posters here?

[TAdams8591]

"Exactly, and you have to ask yourself the question as to why the Bush administration didn't sweep out, or at least make harmless, all Clinton appointees"

Agreed.

[beyond the sea]

Exactly, and you have to ask yourself the question as to why the Bush administration didn't sweep out, or at least make harmless, all Clinton appointees. It seems so elemental.

It all looks like theatre to me. Some tickets are more expensive than others.

[silverleaf]

I suspect other more pressing issues than personnel management...consumed this administration's time.

Bush's first great push was to be filling his cabinet...that took the first 2 months of his administration. Gore's stalling in Florida over the election 2000 consumed half of the customary transition time new Presidents have before the inauguration.

Then, in March-April, Pres Bush went into full court press on tax relief so that checks would go out by July. This to head off gathering storm clouds of recession.

Remember that our P-3 was downed and naval crew imprisoned by China 4 months after Bush took office. A significant foreign policy crisis, at least in pre-911 ordinary days.

Meanwhile, through the first months of the administration, the bitter democrats, who controlled the Senate, used every "guerrilla tactic" they could to hamstring every appointment, every decision of the Bush adminstration.

The Congress essentially "shuts down" for mid-July/August ... so much for approving new high level administration picks. The Bush team soldiered on with pretty much the same mid-low bureaucracy that had served the Clinton cabinet.

Furthermore, recall all the quite decent efforts Pres Bush made to be fair and inclusive and to make one team out of democrats and republicans, to reach out to democrats, to heal the election 200 division. Remember Bush attending the democrat congressional retreat at Green Brier? Ted the Swimmer being invited to the White House with the Kennedy clan to watch movies and to take credit for co-sponsored legislation on education.

Naivete on Pres Bush's part....to think that Congress and people working in the government (even political appointees)actually perceived that they served a nation, not a political party.

Then of course...there was 9-11 and the USA changed. President Bush changed, the structure of government changed. Our foreign policy priorities changed.

Yes. The moles and 'rats appointed by a far different man and far different set of his "advisors"...have survived far too long in their little fiefdoms pursuing their personal vendettas. May their names and faces now be exposed.