Some dark speculation on the need for zampolits

[GliderGuider]

So today we heard this horrifying tidbit from the NYT:

In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that
each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee,
to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries.
The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and
the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often
been generated by civil servants and scientific experts. It suggests that the administration
still has ways to exert its power after the takeover of Congress by the Democrats.

I've been chewing on this for the last couple of hours, and is where my thinking has led:

One of my darker fears is that the Democratic leadership recognizes a necessity for this as much as the Republicans. Although I'd like to give the Democratic leadership the benefit of the doubt, I've seen little enough substantive movement to repudiate Bushco policies that I am losing faith. I don't know if they (collectively) have the pure interests of liberty at heart. It seems to me that they are much more concerned about survival - as in, the physical survival of the Republic. It further occurs to me that there may be a high level perception of a threat to the very existence of your nation, against which draconian government action will be the only defense. If that is the case, an oversight structure like this would be an essential part of the plan.

In other words, yes this is a strengthening of the unitary executive, but perhaps politicians on both sides of the aisle see it not being for the personal benefit of W and the Big Dick, but rather for the future of the nation itself. The Democrats may even agree that it will be needed soon, and therefore will offer up only weak protestations rather than substantial opposition.

Now what threat could possibly justify such action? What could possibly be about to happen that might threaten the very survival of the United States and its non-negotiable lifestyle? What's the master resource of industrial civilization? What do some people think is about to happen to its supply? Why are you in Iraq no matter how bad it gets? What was just announced about the output of Mexico's giant Cantarell oil field?

I'd give even odds that this new set of apparatchik policy control offices in federal agencies is not going away any time soon.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. The corruption which the Civil Service Act of the 1880s

stopped is creeping back into government, and it is disgusting. I'm wondering, however, if the hacks will be able to continue their jobs once we are faced with crisis after crisis--spin doesn't equate with truth.

[Igel]

2. Politruk.

Not much zam- about them.