Chertoff Permanently Installs Hand-Picked DHS Staffers, ‘Overextending His Influence’ After 2008
Chertoff Permanently Installs Hand-Picked DHS Staffers, ‘Overextending His Influence’ After 2008
Since its establishment in 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been plagued by incompetent political appointees. As late as last year, ABC News noted that DHS was still “a political dumping ground,” with 350 White House-appointed staffers (compared to just 64 at the Department of Veteran Affairs).
For the past five years, the Bush administration has refused to fire these cronies. Yet last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that all of a sudden, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff had decided to replace many political appointees with career staffers. The reason for the White House’s sudden turnaround? According to Chertoff, they want to create a smooth transition for the next administration:
“We should not let ourselves drop the ball on the handoff,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a recent interview, adding that his department has assembled “something unusual from a historical standpoint” in its plans to hand over a fully-functioning homeland-security operation to the next administration.
Based on the administration’s track record, however, its real intentions may be less than magnanimous. The Wall Street Journal notes that the “transition planning may be perceived by the next administration as an effort by Homeland Security Chief Chertoff to overextend his influence.”
Instead of being able to appoint new, competent officials, the next administration will be stuck with Chertoff’s last-minute choices. Government-bureacracy specialist Paul Light at New York University notes:
The incoming administration may well ask whether or not the career person was appointed on the basis of merit or on the basis of political connections. That creates quite a bit of tension.
Additionally, ThinkProgress spoke with a former Pentagon official who noted that at the end of many administrations, political appointees often choose to become career officials and continue their government work. By doing this, Chertoff’s cronies may be further entrenching themselves at DHS.
Will Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I-CT) Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee investigate this issue? (Given his track record, probably not.)
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41 Responses to “Chertoff Permanently Installs Hand-Picked DHS Staffers, ‘Overextending His Influence’ After 2008”
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Caption Contest:
Chertoff: Corbomite manuever? You’re bluffing Kirk.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:17 am“Larry, get out! This stall is occupied…”
January 16th, 2008 at 11:19 amWhy do we keep seeing Lie-Brrrrman labeled as “D-CT”? Either label him “I-CT” as he prefers, or use the more accurate label of “BushBootLicker-CT”.
Oh — and my entry for the caption contest: “Hiya, Ralphie-boy!” (OK, I only watched The Honeymooners on re-runs…but he still looks like Norton…)
January 16th, 2008 at 11:22 amSince he took office, Bush has made every effort to turn EVERY department into an arm of the Republican party.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:23 amStill love the Bat Boy comparison!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:26 am“Sunny day - Sweepin’ oversight away,
January 16th, 2008 at 11:26 amOn my way to where the heir gets screwed.
Can you tell me how to get, how to get Pennsylvania Avenue.”
he still looks like Norton…)
Comment by The Dogfather — January 16, 2008 @ 11:22 am
To me, he looks like the short old guy from the Benny Hill show. Or, as my post #8 suggests, a really bad Muppet.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:28 amThe incoming administration may well ask whether or not the career person was appointed on the basis of merit or on the basis of political connections. That creates quite a bit of tension.
ask away… but to hell with “tension”…
clean the whole damn place up… “out with the old…”
after all the trouble and pain bushco has caused, i would not understand
ANYone who didn’t want to clean up, thoroughly, this whole mess…
and, i’d bet everyone else will understand too…
sure there will be crybabies… too f’n bad…
January 16th, 2008 at 11:30 amI’ve never heard of replacing political appointees with careersists at the end of the Administration to ensure a legacy lives on. That’s utter nonsense - since the careerists occupying the political slots can be fired on the first day the new President arrives (those are “pleasure of the President jobs”).
And careerists would be stupid to take those jobs because once they change from career to political, they are no longer guaranteed any sort of employment and would have to reapply.
Other way around, however is more troubling - the procedure is called “burrowing in.” Political appointees after serving for a fixed amount of time (varies per agency and appointment type) can get a leg up in applying for career jobs. Now since the political appointees have taken over hiring decisions (a Bush-era phenomenon, before it was career people hiring career people) it’s virtually assured that a Bush appointee can land a career slot.
Trouble is, converting from political to career is rules-based and subject to review. But also abuse. There’s a voluminous stack of GAO reports written about the practice over the years.
But probably best for you to read the case of Bush appointee Gary Malphrus (he was a young White House staffer who suddenly became an immigration judge) and see what we’re going to be in for —
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003299.php
January 16th, 2008 at 11:33 amHi Ace!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:35 amOh, that *picture*!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:35 amremember, there has been nothing done by DHS. It was all designed to funnel money to cronies. If you look at their record, you will see where the billions went. Anyone think of checking the bank account for the installed turds?
January 16th, 2008 at 11:36 amjust one thing DHS has done? can’t find a thing huh? wonder no more
And another thing…
Chertoff says Europe poses terrorism threat
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Wednesday that one of the biggest threats to U.S. security may now come from within Europe.
http://tinyurl.com/369t3y
Be afraid, be VERY afraid!!!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:38 amWhat a goofball. What a goober.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:39 amace, weren’t you banned for this same behavior?
January 16th, 2008 at 11:44 amThe idea that any administration can do anything permanently is the height of arrogance. Like Bush’s desire to make the tax cuts on the superwealthy “permanent”. Complete bullsh!t. He has no right to dictate to any subsequent Presidents anything at all.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:49 amCaption Contest:
“I don’t know why people think I look like Scatman Crothers having a vision in The Shining.”
January 16th, 2008 at 11:51 amCaption contest:
January 16th, 2008 at 11:51 amWOWOWWO! was that the last BEAD?
Memo to next President:
Dear Sir or Madam;
Please carpetbomb the entire Department of Homeland Security prior to eliminating it from our government.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
The People.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:52 amSupport the Impeachment of Dick Cheney!
Today is National Call-In Day
The call is FREE and only takes a minute of your time.
1-800-828-0498 (White House Switchboard, ask to be connected to your Rep.)
Tell your Representative to support HR 333 The Impeachment of Dick Cheney!
If you’re more ambitious call the members of the House Judiciary Committee (found here: http://judiciary.house.gov/CommitteeMembership.aspx)
January 16th, 2008 at 11:53 amSo (trying to bring a hijacked thread back), you know what’s going to happen, don’t you?
The new administration comes on board and looks at DHS and sees all these political flunkies with no real experience or expertise in crucial positions and cleans house. The Republicans immediately start screaming no matter how qualified the replacements are.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:54 amWhat’s that you say? Sen. Joe Lieberman has the ball?
Shit.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:58 amThe next Administration should squash this poorly run agency right away, firing ALL it’s staff. They then can impliment a new agency under a new name that actually performs the duties this agency was tasked with. They could do something real novel and hire a staff that is actually qualified to do their jobs. If this is beyond the next Administrations reach then Congress should simply de-fund the agency. Maybe then we could actually have someone checking the shipping containers coming into our Country, following the money trail of terrorist groups and setting aside realistic funds to assist the states in defending against future attacks. Being a New Yorker I find it appaling that the DOHS has played favoritism and shear stupidity in how it breaks down how the money is doled out. I wouldn’t even mind the rampant cronyism so much if these people were qualified and could do their jobs. Jeebus, this current Administration just keeps making a bigger and bigger mess for the next President. But then again, that’s just what the GOP want. Their “great experiment” has been a smashing success for them so far. Doing everything they can to ruin our system of government and then prove that it doesn’t work. How ANYONE who loves this Country could possibly vote for these traitorous Repigs will never cease to amaze and dissapoint me.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:05 pmActually from what we hear New York is handling their security very well without Homeland Securitiy’s bumbling help. But I agree the report of giving more dollars to some town in Montana than New York blew me away. Like Montana is a target.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:18 pmDid anyone notice?…..Chertoff KNOWS the Democrats WILL take the whitehouse,so now to try and protect busco leaches. Bush is trying to make comitments way beyond 08.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:34 pm“Permanently installed” political appointees? Gee, conservatives have been honking and braying about entrenched government bureaucrats for years. I would think conservatives would have a real problem with something like this. Kind of makes you wonder if they have any values at all.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:42 pmSeriously though, this will not stand. There is really no reason to worry about this because even if the executive branch can’t force resignations of these entrenched political appointees, the Dems WILL have supermajorities in both chambers and will legislate this if necessary. This is simply a pathetic attempt to retain some of their political power in a year they know will be a political bloodbath for them. It’s not going to work.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:44 pmPhoto Caption: Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
January 16th, 2008 at 12:52 pmSeparated at birth…
January 16th, 2008 at 12:54 pmSmoke and mirrors
January 16th, 2008 at 1:02 pmDogs and ponies
The President of the United States and his cronies
My God, this guy is Skeletor!
January 16th, 2008 at 1:09 pmThis is all part and parcel of the neo-con coup–soon the bulk of the government will all be dancing to Gounod’s , “Dance of the Marionettes”! Por ejemplo, the courts are being packed, Justice was packed, Homeland Security (God, I hate the sound of it), Defense, etc.
There is a coup/apolitical war going on under our noses and most of us only catch glimpses of it through a glass, darkly. If Democrats, Liberals, Progressives, Populists, Libertarians, etc., don’t take note and fight for their lives, this country will be in hands of the Richard Mellon Scaife’s, the Hunt brothers’s , the Coors’s, the Moon’s, the Murdoch’s, and that ilk and we will all selling pencils on street corners or begging for handouts without a shred of our Constitution left.
January 16th, 2008 at 1:25 pmWe need to know some more facts. However, I would suspect that the career civil servants are being moved into slots which will be redesignated as nonpolitical spots. This will provide the Republican scum with several advantages:
1. They will claim public good will by noting how they are being nonpartisan by assisting the new administration with a fully functioning and professional staff. The WSJ article certainly took that tact.
2. They will redesignate carefully groomed fifth columnists in much the same manner as the DoJ did within a number of its departments. Thus, the career civil servants hiring additional members will use a set political agenda.
3. Any objections by a Democratic administration will be met with howls of protest because the Democrats are being partisan and attempting to circumvent civil service laws.
The only way to deal with this problem is to treat the Republican scum as the criminals are. Just as it was necessary to de-Nazify Germany, it will be necessary to remove the Republicans from this government.
January 16th, 2008 at 1:27 pmmother, mary and joseph!
January 16th, 2008 at 1:44 pmthat is one ugly mug!
How’s the terror alert status at Indiana roller rinks, Skeletor?
January 16th, 2008 at 2:22 pmI wonder how many other Zionists he put into office.
January 16th, 2008 at 2:27 pmPutting political hacks without qualifications in permanent civil service jobs at the end of an administration is called “burrowing in”. Republicans do it quite a bit because it is a way to repay the hacks. It is for medium to low level operatives who can’t do much of anything else and need a job with benefits. They appoint themselves to medium level management positions or sometimes technical jobs in primo job location postings never in Hellhole Mississippi. The civil service laws do protect them for a while from the new administration, but they can be removed. I did it in the 1990’s and it is not that difficult. These are the people who do not like to be supervised, given job performance improvement plans, or told they need to be transferred. It can be done within the rules because they are almost all incompetent. A new administration simply needs to make clear that they want the deadwood cleared and productivity is required. Two hacks I supervised became better than average employees but they accepted transfers. Civil service laws do not protect lousy employees, only lazy bosses do.
January 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pmFor the past five years, the Bush administration has refused to fire these cronies. Yet last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that all of a sudden, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff had decided to replace many political appointees with career staffers. The reason for the White House’s sudden turnaround? According to Chertoff, they want to create a smooth transition for the next administration….
Ummmm. By appointing politically vetted and approved “career staffers”, they’re just trying to make it more difficult to depoliticise the department. Just because they’re long-termers doesn’t mean they’re not political hacks.
Cheers,
January 16th, 2008 at 5:31 pm#4 The Dogfather:
Why do we keep seeing Lie-Brrrrman labeled as “D-CTâ€? Either label him “I-CT†as he prefers, or use the more accurate label of “BushBootLicker-CTâ€.
I prefer “Lieberman [I-Likud]”.
Cheers,
January 16th, 2008 at 5:34 pm.
SINCE WHEN HAS AMERICA BEEN KNOW AS…
T H E
H O M E L A N D ?
I’ve always thought of Her as America.
.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:34 amRelated satire at http://www.hubpages.com/hub/iniquity
January 18th, 2008 at 11:53 amChertoff as the Screaming Skull and bookburner from Fahrenheit 451.
Chertoff Targets discontent and H.R. 1955: The Center of Excellence is Watching You.