[Fedora]

One thing these Clintons did was to place these political appointees into civil service positions which are not positions that President Bush could vacate without cause.

Good observation. This is also one of the ways that civil service "reforms" have helped cripple the intelligence community over the past 20-30 years. It's much easier to get a troublemaker in place than it is to get them out.

[Freedom is eternally right]

It is amazing how many analysts and attorneys Clinton granted civil service designation.

GAO Report on change of Status to Political Appointments

[Just mythoughts]

President Bush fought against the "civil service" positions for life with the structuring of Homeland Security. These liberals were demanding special union status for the newly formed Homeland Security, which is what the midterm election of 2002 became about for the most part.

I suspect though as time passes there will be gradual steps taken to reinsert the expected "union" classification and status into the bureaucracy of Homeland Security.