[oceanview]

yes, but there are ways for the political appointees they report to somehwere up the chain of command - to provide oversight on their actions.

otherwise, you are telling us that we must accept the shadow government - pursuing is own agenda using the power of the executive branch that they were NOT ELECTED TO, and we can't do anything about it.

[Miss Marple]

The bureaucracy is a world unto itself. Yes, there are ways to exert oversight (as in when John Ashcroft transferred some DOJ employees to the hinterlands, away from the Washington media). There are ways to catch some of them (as in the CIA gal who had to resign).

But there are thousands and thousands of people who are working for the government. It is almost impossible to catch one if they think they want to leak. Look at how much trouble Rumsfeld has had with this, and I don't think you can say that he was soft on leaks, or too tolerant, or not wanting to "make waves."

You are asking the President and his cabinet officials to do something that is just not possible. I think the only way this will be solved is when enough Republicans are willing to take government jobs. Most prefer the private sector, and that is one of our problems.