The Clinton-Bush Administration

By Charles Bloomer
web posted August 20, 2001

As the senate departed for its August recess, 60 per cent of the
Bush administration's political appointments remain unfilled by
Bush picks. Part of the blame rests with the president, who has
been slow submitting his selections to be confirmed by the
Senate. Additional blame can be laid at the doorstep of the
Democrat-controlled Senate that has been dragging its feet in
considering the names that Bush has sent.

The Democrats who control the Senate are in no rush to put
Bush's people in place. The reason is obvious: Until a Bush
nominee fills a position, the incumbent remains in place. As a
result, over half of the federal political appointees that are tasked
with executing the Bush administration's policies, or that make
policies affecting the relationship between the federal government
and the American people are filled with Clinton appointees.
America is now seeing the impact of the treacherous Jeffords
defection that gave the Democrats control of the Senate.

Without Bush appointees in place, policies that affect the way
government works, the enforcement of regulations, and the
interpretation of administration goals and methods are left in the
hands of people who are politically and ideologically opposed to
the Bush administration. While the heads of federal agencies are
all now Bush appointees, the majority of lower level
implementers and interpreters of policy in those agencies are
leftover liberals. These people may not be able to generate
policy to achieve their own ends, they certainly are in positions to
resist, delay, and thwart new policies that the president may want
to implement.

There is a simple solution. Political appointees serve at the
"pleasure of the president", meaning that the president can
remove them at will. Despite the whining and moaning of certain
members of the Democratic Party, despite what Terry McAuliffe
thinks, George W. Bush is the president.

President Bush should immediately call for the resignations of all
Clinton appointees, effective at noon tomorrow. He should
thoroughly purge the ranks of government of all the liberals left in
place when he took office. He has the authority and should not
be shy about using it.

During his vacation, Bush should get together with his cabinet
officers and develop a complete list of the names of
replacements, then submit the list en masse to the senate for
immediate consideration when they return from recess. For
critical positions that cannot do without an appointee, the
president should make recess appointments to ensure important
functions of government can continue. Non-critical positions can
remain vacant until a candidate is confirmed.

Having passed his list to the senate, the president can hold their
feet to the fire to get his people approved. If the senate balks or
drags its feet, the president should quickly call attention to the
Democrats' obstructionist actions and point out the partisanship
that everyone knows exists among the liberals. The mainstream
press will no doubt dutifully give full vent to Senator Majority
Leader Tom Daschle's complaints that Bush has submitted a list
of far-right extremists, but the president should ignore the
potential global warming created by Daschle's hot air.

The president should also call on members of his own party to
remove any and all holds on appointees, and have them press the
Democratic leadership of the senate to move quickly on
approval. Republicans in the senate should rally around the
president and lend all necessary assistance.

In an ideal world, appointees in government positions would set
aside their politics and serve the president. If not, they would
have the decency to resign. But this is not an ideal world and
liberals never forego an opportunity to further their own agenda
or to obstruct that of their opponents. President Bush should not
let his gentlemanly manner prevent him from calling for the
resignations of those who have the ability and disposition to
disrupt his presidency.

There exists no good reason for President Bush to have to be
saddled with political appointees who do not support his
policies. Whether or not the Democrats in the senate like it, Mr.
Bush is the president. The president is allowed to choose his
own team, with advice and consent of the senate. But while the
senate is advising and consenting, the president need not retain
the political leftovers who oppose him and contributed mightily to
the damage done to the country by the Clinton administration.

Clear them out, Mr. President, before the can do any more
damage.

Charles Bloomer is a senior writer for Enter Stage Right. He can
be contacted at clbloomer@enterstageright.com. (c) 2001
Charles Bloomer.

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