WP: Every Cabinet member's chief of staff has a "dotted line to Karl Rove"

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302144.html

<snip>

In the position's early incarnations, the chief of staff generally was someone like Newhall, selected by and loyal to the secretary, there to watch the secretary's back and so on, Light said. That arrangement largely held true during the Clinton years.

But "the nature of the function has changed dramatically in the Bush administration," Light said, "where the chiefs are selected by the White House vetting process and tend to be very young and very loyal" to the political arm of the White House. "So they have at least a dotted line to Karl Rove," Light said.

There are 14 Cabinet department chiefs of staff, and 13 of those have deputy chiefs. There are seven chiefs of staff to undersecretaries. There are 10 departments with chiefs of staff to an assistant secretary, and four of those have a deputy chief of staff.

[catmandu57]

1. So kkkarl is the linchpin, the keystone

Take that son of a bitch out and this whole rotten government falls, that's what it sounds like to me. I hope somebody takes him out soon the sooner this collapses the better.

[sabra]

3. This makes much more sense now...

[Old and In the Way]

2. They are the political officiers who swear alleigence to Bush 1st,

the Republican Party 2nd...and I forget the 3rd.

[The Count]

4. Which begs the question:

[formercia]

6. Gangsta. n/t

[pinto]

5. Interesting snip. Thanks. Underscores the 24/7 campaign approach Karl brought to

the Federal government in what he saw as its primary function - establishing that 'permanent Republican majority'.

A fair, efficient stewardship of national resources was long thought to be the role of the Federal bureaucracy.

Rove et al have perverted the process to politicize whatever they could lay their hands on. From flat out replacing powerful positions with political operatives (US Attorneys) to hiring loyalists for posts regardless of experience ('You're doing a heck of a job Brownie') to inserting new layers of administrative "Bushies" within the Departments (noted here), they have attempted to remake the Federal government into a de facto wing of the RNC.

Oh, and it seems I remember Republicans touting a smaller, ethical government.

We ought to file this all in the 'Look at what we do, not what we say' folder.