Internal investigation by the Justice Department shows that during President Bush’s tenure Monica Goodling has made political orientation a major factor in the hiring of Justice Department attorneys, and I agree that this is a shameful and BAD THING.  I wonder, then, when Congress will step in to determine whether political orientation plays any role in hiring at National Public Radio, and if so, how and why?  It seems to me that any such institution, funded in part by federal largesse, ought to receive oversight in this regard.  I’m not accusing, mind you: I’m simply airing a hunch.
You may read more on JD and Alp’s excellent golf adventure here, below the fold.
It is only bad/evil/corrupt/partisan/insert bad word here when Republicans do it. I suppose that Nancy Pelosi has hired oodles of Republicans, Bill Clinton was all about appointing Republicans, and Harry Reid was doing the same, a veritable hotbed of Republicans on his staff.
I like my analogy better, JD. Clinton did appoint some Republicans, Bush has appointed some Dems.
Loved the golf coverage, BTW, but it seems to have developed its own thread!
I think I’ll call you Samurai Putter, from now on.
If you still have that recap I sent you, could you post a copy of it over in that thread?
Samari Rolle’s distant cousin.
Sure thing, JD.
Monica Goodling is freaky. She must be punished. But the NPR club is unaccountable. Primarily because they don’t make transcripts free on the net so no content analysis can accumulate. It’s really that simple.
JD, I’d like to elaborate a little on your point. Nancy Pelosi claimed that the American people, by voting in a majority of democrats, have given her a mandate to behave in a totally partisan manner.
By this metric, the people have given the administration a mandate to act in the same manner. Thus, we have political orientation being used in hiring decisions by members of the adminisrative branch of government (among other things).
This a turd that skinks both ways.
Let’s leave the poor skinks out of this.
Dan–look at your gmail; I need to talk to you
Politicians letting political orientation influence hiring?
I have never heard of such a thing!
Okay. Is your phone here, hon?
Hoo-Rah for Monica Goodling!
Is this thing she’s accused of something new, or something that has been happening since the beginning of time?
Our beloved Dem’s are about the stupidest pack of legislators (and I use the term very loosely) to ever inhabit Foggy Bottom. And the Repubs seem to be running neck and neck with them. It’s kinda like: “Anything you can do, I can do stupider”.
If I were a Dem, I’d be so embarrassed by Pelosi that I would put out a contract on her. Her stupidity and hubris are mind boggling.
There must be something in the water in Pelosi’s congressional district.
Frankly, I have no problem with hiring based on political persuasion.
Let’s face it, most of the federal beauracracy is captured by libs, and they try to thwart any republican admin. Shouldn’t a republican president try to hire people that he believes are going to follow his policies?
I’m not sure I have ever understood this idea that the “civil service” is some great and honorable and non-partisan thing. That is pie-in-the-sky hogwash.
I would even take it a step farther. I frankly think that when a new administration is elected, the top managers and administrators in each agency should automatically be terminated, pending the president’s decision (or his or her appointed head of that agency) whether or not to keep that individual.
But don’t get me started on civil service laws in general. I practiced for awhile in the area of federal civilian employment – like all civil service, it is a system set up to hire and promote incompetence and misconduct. Why we as a nation believe that people are “entitled” to keep gov’t jobs for life, I will never understand.
Much like I believe we would be better off as a nation if there were less career politicians, I think we would be much better off without career federal employees.
I have listened to NPR for ten years. It has become more and more blatent in its socialism, but never more than in the last two years.
I think I heard at least six (morning and night for three days) “reports” about REPUBLICAN Ted Stevens this week, and I recall maybe two about William Jefferson (no political party mentioned) back when that should have been news.
Also this week, in a report about McCain “going negative,” was it said that some study showed that 90% of Obama’s ads were positive, and 1 out of 3 McCain ads were negative. They easily could/should have said that 67% of McCain’s ads were positive. That overstretched phrasing is proof, as if any were needed, that NPR is O’s press agency.
And did anybody hear “Dan” Shore’s summary of the Bush Administration yesterday? He was positively disgusted that 30% of America still approved of Bush.
Dan,
I’m so sick of that gecko on TV that I thought I’d give the skinks a little free PR. Anoles seem to make the best pets, though.
Daniel Schorr always sounds like he just got off of life support. He makes me nervous, because I’m afraid he’ll keel over at any time.
I realize that partisanship can’t be completely avoided in the federal sector. What makes this Goodling tool particularly galling is that the DOJ should be absolutely non-partisan. This kind of crap probably happened in every administration. It’s good that the light’s on and the cockroaches scattered.
“This kind of crap probably happened in every administration.”
The previous report, about the DOJ Honors program, only identified problems in 2 of the years they looked at, and found that it came from adding political people into the middle of a career system.
“I’m not accusing, mind you: I’m simply airing a hunch.”
That’s a lot easier, I suppose.
I like rye.
Danny Schorr is interesting. NPR knows their demo appeal is aging rapidly. They fired crusty Bob Edwards to stop this, and brought in the guy that talks like a kindergarten teacher. Didn’t help. Or maybe it did decelerate the aging of their audience just a bit, but you can’t tell that from their numbers. Yet poor Schorr is still the emblem of their commentary. It’s not that there’s not a new fresh mendacious and socialist voice waiting in the wings… it’s just that Danny is his own brand. The new one would probably be Ted Koppel, but he might not play the game… It’ll be interesting to see who they find that brings their own imprimatur that’s willing to slavishly follow the company narrative. Obviously though this is challenging enough, finding a new pseudo-independent mouthpiece, that they’re willing to take the hit on the whole grandpa simpson thing.
You know, they can set you up with an annuity if you don’t like your kids.
Nothing to use for an annuity. My retirement plan has gone into tuitions, so I’m hoping my kids like me.
“I’m simply airing a hunch”
… said Quasimoto as he took off his robe.
So I guess when Clinton fired all those career USA’s it really was political because I just can’t see why career staffers deserve the ax based on nothing.
Another thing, if Obama is elected is he now obliged to retain and hire USA’s who will not persue his Justice Dept. priorities?
Somehow, I think the left will suddenly change their tune like they always do.
So I guess when Clinton fired all those career USA’s it really was political because I just can’t see why career staffers deserve the ax based on nothing.
I argue that this should be the rule – keeping such “career staffers” when a new administration takes over should be the exception.
Anyone outside of clerical should go when a new administration takes over. That way, we don’t have fiefdoms at State fighting the duly elected president’s foriegn policy.
TSK9 – That was completely a-political, and done for the health and welfare of the country.
It’s kinda bizarre how a system intended to prevent the government bureaucracy from being beholden to political interests has become a way to protect a politicized bureaucracy from accountability.
“Anyone outside of clerical should go when a new administration takes over. That way, we don’t have fiefdoms”
I guess you don’t deal with many clerks.
Collins;
I’m glad you think this is a ‘shameful and BAD thing” but I wonder if the golf tips interspersed indicate your approval of politicizing the DOJ?
BTW; civil service protection arose out the the McCarthy pogrom (with RFK carrying some of that water) so it stands to reason Hegemons like
the Bush Gang would seek to reverse all the injustice attached to political retaliation.
Anyone outside of clerical should go when a new administration takes over. That way, we don’t have fiefdoms
No, it didn’t. It predates McCarthy by a good seventy years. Look up the Pendleton Civil Services Act.