Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush spent Friday evening at the home of Clay Johnson, a college friend and administration official who also has a hand in shaping Bush's second-term Cabinet. The president spent about two hours at Johnson's house in a Washington suburb. Johnson, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, and White House chief of staff Andy Card are among those who are intimately involved in discussions on second-term personnel. Bush's longtime friend also worked with him while he was Texas governor and later served as head of the Bush-Cheney transition team into the Oval Office in...

Democrats in the Senate aren't just filibustering President Bush's judicial nominees. They're also blocking a number of his political nominations. Perhaps the biggest head-scratcher is the hold up on Office of Management and Budget deputy director-designate Clay Johnson. Johnson, who has been friends with President Bush since college, was put up for nomination several months ago. At that time, Sen. Robert Byrd placed a hold on the nomination, citing Clay's allegedly testy relationship with organized labor. "Byrd is a slave to the unions, and would do just about anything for them," says a Senate Republican leadership staffer. Earlier this week...

Bush confidant changing jobs Texan will try to streamline bureaucracy in post at OMB 01/14/2003 By G. ROBERT HILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News WASHINGTON – Clay Johnson, one of President Bush's oldest Texas friends and confidants, is changing jobs at the White House. In a series of moves announced Monday, Mr. Johnson is leaving his post as White House personnel director to be the deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget. He's replacing Mark Everson, who was named commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. The new personnel director will be one of Mr. Johnson's...