Molly Ivins: Tootling merrily along (Cronyism still runs rampant)

[Dudley_DUright]

Today's fun challenge is "Spot the Next Brownie." In this fab game for the whole family, review a list of Bush administration cronies in office and see if you can pick the next Michael "Heckuva Job" Brown, another disaster waiting for a hurricane to happen.

Scope out the Bird Flu Czar from Amtrak. Stewart Simonson is now in charge of "the protection of the civilian population from acts of bioterrorism and other public health emergencies," according to his government biography. He is also in charge of ensuring the country has adequate vaccines and antiviral meds to combat an avian flu epidemic. This would be peachy-keen if Simonson had any experience in public health, bioterrorism, epidemics or even management. Unfortunately, he's a political lawyer. As he recently told a congressional subcommittee, "We're learning as we go."

Simonson's rabbi is former Gov. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, who hired him out of law school, took him to Washington as deputy general counsel at Health and Human Services and then got him the job as general counsel of Amtrak. Ed Garvey, a well-known lawyer in Wisconsin political circles, told The Nation magazine: "He's a political hack, a sycophant. People just laughed when he was appointed to Amtrak, but when word came out that he was in charge of bioterrorism, it turned to alarm. When you realize that people's lives are at stake, it's frightening. It's just one of those moments when you say, 'Oh, my God.'"

Rep. Henry Waxman, R-Calif., who may be the last grown-up left in Washington, has also pointed out Simonson's professional inadequacies. See the article by Jeremy Scahill in the current issue of The Nation for disturbing details.


more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=19893

[Neocondriac]

1. It's their plan ,not real cronyism....

"Order from Chaos"...an illuminati mantra.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Why does George W. Bush hate America?

It seems like he goes out of his way to pick the least qualified people for some of the most important appointments he makes. It's disgusting and insulting.

[MissMarple]

4. Because George hates liberals.

The Constitution is rooted in liberal principles, it was written by liberals inspired by the Enlightenment.

George hates liberals, ergo he hates America. George hates freedom, hates individual opportunity and hates helping struggling Americans by giving them a hand up.

Why does George have all this hate? :shrug:

[BJW]

3. "W will learn on the job" was a campaign TP

that supposedly was a positive!!!! His ignorance and incuriosity was sold as a positive!!!!

Does anybody else remember this???

It's not a wonder to me that this admin has been appointing other people, right and left, who'll also "learn on the job." Heck if it was good enough for * to be elected/appointed after running on this "positive" well then why not have others learning on the job too!

[ktlyon]

5. so true and yes I remember

I couldn't believe the logic then,
and now I am seeing my predictions come true.
I knew how bad it could be, just was not ready for the "head in the sand" response of my neighbors.
They did not listen to my warnings and voted for this ignorant, incurious fool.