|
|
|
2009 News Notes These are items which were originally located on one of the pages of Presidential-Appointments.org and are archived here. If you are not browsing archives, the best way to manage this information is to do a page search, using the find or search function on your browser for the subject or topic which is of interest to you. Feel free to contact us at Chairman@Presidential-Appointments.org for further information. SWAP and TRADE Watching the confirmation of Federal Judges at all levels indicates that there is a lot of swapping of support between United States Senators - Republican Senators have placed holds on Obama nominations which they did not like for one reason or another - often about abortion or gun rights issues. Retaliation -- the Democratic leadership of the Senate would not bring nominations at various levels which are located in the "holding" GOP Senator's states. While there is nothing new in this sort of political gamery - it is getting a lot of nominations confirmed right at the moment. Interesting people- those politicians! 11-12-09 Presidential Transitions When the present administration was elected in 2000 there was a period of about ten months as the transition took place. While the White House understood the risk of terrorist activity, it is an open question about whether they were ready for the September 11 attack. At the very least it is clear that the terrorists understood that this was an unstable time which occurs at the end and the start of each presidential administration. When this inauguration of a new government is in place in 2009, the transition will be far more prepared for any kind of interim problem. The leadership of each political party is fully aware that there can be no space for outsiders to take advantage of this weak moment in American government. A new administration has a brief time to get a clear understanding of present American policy and the facts which support that policy. Because of the changing personnel it is critically important that the presidential appointments get made early and confirmed as soon as possible. Historically it takes as much as a year for the primary appointments to be made, confirmed and the personnel installed in their new positions. This delay is very practical because it is much like any other employment project. Candidate applications must be completed and submitted. Backgrounds must be checked. Qualifications must be examined. Politicians who have recommended candidates must be satisfied that correct appointments are being made. All of this must be done as carefully and completely as possible - on On Behalf of the People. War Decisions Are Made by Appointees The President is making important military decisions! All the players in the final process are elected - the President and Vice President - or Presidential appointees confirmed by the Senate. This is a clear illustration of how the patronage system both reflects the policies of the President and the cooperation of the Congress. This is patronage at its best - and the best argument for its role in government. Undoubtedly - the career civil servants and career military have huge input, even influence in the process - but it boils down to political figures with highly visible responsibility to the citizenry through policy and press publicity to make decisions. 11-11-09 Nominations Moving The Obama White House nominations are now moving along through the Senate after some political delays. Obama's White House is somewhat ahead of the experience of recent Presidents. That is probably because of the level of crisis at the moment, and the strong vote count in the Senate. Even so - getting jobs filled earlier is a constructive circumstance which makes government more efficient. 09-29-09 Making Ambassadorial Patronage a Big Deal Ambassador appointments are about oldest patronage appointments of all history - they have come directly from Kings, Pharaohs, Presidents and executives of all sorts since history began and before. The theory is that these are the persons closest to the boss and therefore, the best person to represent the leader to other countries. Some ambassador appointments are strictly talent - especially when the assignment is to an enemy nation or a difficult task. Political contributions often open doors for the appointments, and those go at a premium price of political contributions. There has been massive complaining through all time about these choice jobs overseas. The Obama Ambassadors are catching serious public heat in many cases - nothing new - and not effective - but an attempt to make an ancient political practice and big deal. Not surprising - his appointment to his Father's homeland of Kenya is at the center of the gossipy battle these days. 11-02-09 Court Appointments DO Count Tonight a man will be executed in Virginia for a terrible run of serial killings. Also, today, the United States will continue to be the only industrial and "advanced" society to invoke the death penalty. This policy is kept in place by the United States Supreme Court - all by itself. It happened again yesterday when the Court refused to reconsider the execution order. The death penalty has been the rallying cry of the "Christian" Right and the conservative movement in general - the same Christian church that prays to a politically executed, crucified Christ. The Supreme Court minority complained about the executive action of the Court yesterday where no hearings were held on the current execution. It is a reasonable political bet that Barack Obama will appoint three more Supreme Court Justices. The odds are that they will all oppose the death penalty and reverse the Far Right stance of the present court. 11-10-09 "CONSOLIDATING THE PRESIDENCY" The White House has made nominations to most of the fundamental policy positions and most are confirmed and in place - doing the job they are supposed to do. This is slightly ahead of the Clinton and Bush Presidencies after ten months in office. While the dramatic and highly reported issues and actions have been in the public eye since January 20 - in many ways, the real business of government is done at the local and regional level across the country and in less reported positions in Washington D.C. These more local positions manage economic support programs, public education, agriculture, fish and game, and have much to do with grants for all purposes, including scientific research, conservations, and support for community infrastructure growth. These appointments reflect the policy and nature of each Presidency. 11-06-09 Positive Patronage Story - It Worked When Harry Truman became President on the death of Franklin Roosevelt - he exercised his power of Presidential patronage by appointing Eleanor Roosevelt - FDR's widow to represent the United States at the conference which produced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 1948. Mrs. Roosevelt was elected Chair of the international conference which produced the Declaration - a document agreed upon on her birthday in her honor - December 10 1948. The United States is now the only major country on the planet which has not adopted the Declaration of Human Rights - largely because it guarantees equal rights, equal pay, etc., for women. Hm! 12-10-09 Holds Bring Push from Reid The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has again put the heat on Republican Senators to remove obstructions and "Holds" from various nominations of the President. The Democrats did the same during the Bush administration. The Senators can put known or hidden holds on Senate processes by simply telling the Majority Leader of his or her intent. This device may not be directed at the nominee but rather at some unrelated matter where the Senator wants some leverage against the President or the Senate leadership. The process prevents consideration of the nominee by the Senate committee involved, or the total Senate in a floor vote. 10-30-09 "SCOOTER" DOCUMENT RELEASE THREATENS EX-VP The FBI and the Department of Justice have released documents related to the prosecution of the Plame Spy Leak controversy which convicted "Scooter" Libby of federal felonies. On reading them, it is hard to believe that then Vice President Dick Cheney was telling the truth about his part in all that. He is safely past the statutes of limitations which would apply - but these documents will permanently damage the Cheney heritage. "Scooter" was an executive appointee as staff assistant to Cheney. The ex-VP tried to talk the Boss - President Bush - into a full pardon but Bush had enough with a partial pardon - not enough to clean up Libby's legal status. This is a classic example of a political patronage appointee "taking a legal bullet" for his cranky Vice Presidential boss. 11-03-09 The White House is quietly and discretely tuning prospect lists for the next Supreme Court appointment by President Obama. While the President's staff always keeps a running list of prospects and possibilities for nominations, the hunch around Washington D.C. is that there will be two openings by next summer - Justice Stevens and Justice Ginsberg. Justice Stevens at 90 years old has given some indications he might retire, although he seems fully capable of continuing at full tilt. For example, the word is that he has not hired his full complement of law clerk assistants for the term which might be an indication of retirement in June 2010 when the Supreme Court retires for the summer. The other is based on the serious illness of Justice Ginsberg who was treated for pancreatic cancer last summer. While she was treated and is back on the Court bench full time, pancreatic cancer is an unforgiving foe with a low and short full recovery rate. Times are changing on the Supreme Court. Obama could easily have four more appointments to the Court if he serves seven more years in two full terms as President. 11-01-09 Human Spaceflight Commission This Presidential Commission, commonly known as the Augustine Commission, has issued its final report on the NASA space programs. This Commission is a good example of the the Presidential authority in cooperation with the Congress to study important issues. Such commissions do not require Senate confirmation. This Commission prepared a complex report of its work at this address: Click: Human Spaceflight Commission. 10-26-09 McCain Locks Up Labor Appointment with Senate "Hold" Senator John McCain has placed a hold on President's nomination of Mr. Chris Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. His rationale is that Becker is too strong in his advocacy of issues favoring the organized labor movements. Becker had been a senior employee of a service employees union. The Senate committee responsible for Becker's nomination had previously recommended confirmation before McCain placed the blocking hold on the nomination. 10-22-09 Non-confirmation Jobs at Stake The jobs not requiring Senate confirmation are now being filled by the Obama Administration. Now is the time to get vitas ready and submit for a job you wish to have Most of these will be filled in the next six months. 10-09-09 White House Staff Up and Running The Obama White House has settled down into a full operational mode - and got there about on the same schedule most new administrations experience. What did happen is that this administration was well put together at the time of the 2008 election - was polished up before January 20 2009, and in almost full operation earlier in the first term than many recent administrations. 11-01-09 United States Attorneys Appointed Across the country, United States Attorney appointments are starting to happen. This is about as pure a form, and as important form of patronage, that exists. Every Federal Court District has these appointments to handle federal legal business, both criminal and civil. Normally the senior United States Senator of the President's Party in a Court District has primary control over the nomination. These appointments have taken a major role as controversies over fired Attorneys flared up during the George W. Bush Presidency. These are extremely important appointments. usually done well by the White House. 10-16-09 As the New Year turns, President Obama has about 200 nominations pending in the Senate Advice and Consent process. Many of them are on "holds" from Senators attempting to muscle changes in policy, or in the nominations themselves. While this is business-as-usual in the process at this time - it doesn't help the efficiency of government. 12-29-09 Troubled Patronage - international Implications Patronage in the form of contracts for insider companies means death and destruction. Blackwater Corporation and major US companies got "no competition" contracts for everything from building toilets to killing civilians under the guise of protection of officials. These were "inside deals" on the part of officials in the Bush Administration. Some of them are still at it in Iraq and Afghanistan under the Obama Administration. Those sort of deals are another form of executive patronage - this time involving huge financial gain and limited or no real supervision from the Executive powers that put them there. 12-17-09 BAD HISTORY FOR PATRONAGE Executive patronage has a long time history of causing trouble - even when it works right. While the United States Civil Service program has reduced the number of patronage spots to something in the area of 75,000 positions in the country - about 1/3 of the positions are not filled and haven't been for a generation. Not filling jobs is a power move in many of those cases - leaving them open means the executive operations appoint just enough to some organizations to totally control the work of the group without appointing required opposition people. As in most parts of a democracy - private efforts of citizens to fill jobs is necessary to make the system work - and that is not happening for thousands of positions. 12-16-09 "Don't Ask Don't Tell" Officer Nominated The President has nominated Dr. Clifford L. Stanley, a retired Marine Officer to be the new Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the Department of Defense. He will supervise the DADT policy which Obama has promised to get reversed. He will be asked about his position on DADT which is likely to support changing it since that is the position the President has taken. Stanley's nomination is sure to raise a battle with the Senate in its confirmation process. 10-17-09 Senator's Holds - A United States Senator can place a "hold" or arbitrary stop on pending nominations or bills moving through the Senate. It is done openly or secretly by notifying the Senate leadership of the Senator's intent. The procedure is one of those procedures in the Senate which are hard to fit into any common sense idea of managements, or even fairness - but that is the procedure and it is aggressively defended as a Senator's right. The "hold" procedure has the impact of stopping a nomination or law dead in its tracks when applied but is used by both majority and minority Senators. This procedure can be overridden by a majority vote of the Senate unless released by the holding Senator. 10-18-0 Lawyer Over the Side Resigned or fired attorney Gregory Craig is looking a lot better after he left the White House - the criticisms made about this efforts on GITMO appear full of holes. It now sounds like he had had enough and wanted to return to private life - a personal decision. His gig at the White House was a mean one - how to house terrorists and running judicial appoint efforts through the Senate. Those are politically tough tasks. 11-17-09 Gregory Craig, The President's White House Counsel, is out! Fired or convenient retirement? - Either way - the President's lawyer has been in charge of the Guantanamo Bay closure of the White House and it has been an unmitigated disaster - he just could not put it together for the President. Another lawyer will now take a shot at it and the Craig will vacation or get a find a new job - starting today. 11-13-09 BAUCUS PATRONAGE ISSUES LIGHT UP A MESS! Senator Baucus of Montana nominated his bedmate - a qualified lawyer - to be US Attorney from Montana. He is getting a lot of static because of his high profile - but no ethics discipline for it. All this raises issues of Senatorial prerogative - "holds" - patronage - lots of political hanky-pank - most of it in place starting in the late 1790's. Ultimately - the real issue is a contemptuous public opinion - and voter's incapacity to do anything about it. This sort of "presumptive" power by Senator's does not enhance their respect among the citizens. They end up appearing like a self-centered, phony, unlawful crowd. 12-08-09 Wearing Out Early- Presidential Appointments are usually a tough gig - long hours, press pressures, moderate pay, serious increase in living expenses, tough on family - all that! David Ogden, a solid and recognized attorney, took on being Deputy Attorney General in the new Obama Administration early in the game, is returning to his law firm and private practice. There is nothing unusual about early departures from White House appointments - some are unhappy, some are just a good idea. This one sounds like resignation is a good fit for everybody - but illustrates the sort of problems that arise in Presidential Appointments. 12-4-09 TAKIN' CARE OF MAMA! 12-06-09 - Baucus - in a statement of unique candor - said he is glad the nomination of his girlfriend failed so he could sleep with her in Washington all the time rather than just home in Billings. Wow! Max Baucus, Senior Senator from Montana and lead man on the Senate Health Care legislation sent his girlfriend's name to the White House to be United States Attorney for Montana. Considering the problems of Senatorial nepotism - she bailed out and took a big appointment in the Justice Department - and - AHA! - another dose of nepotism. The Senator hooked up with his staffer while in a divorce action with his now ex-wife. 12-5-09 Cabinet Complete: The Obama Cabinet is complete, as are the President-Elect's personal White House Staff and the staff of various Counselors in various areas, such as in the many economic subjects which are so important right now. Among the inquiries we get at this site, most applicants for the less obvious positions are not doing their political due diligence in preparation of their applications. Most do not buy into the concept that the White House is never willing to make appointments without consultation with Representatives, Senators, Governors and other political forces related to the application. It is absolutely essential that applicants for patronage positions recognize the power of politicians in the ultimate decisions. Certainly, the White House may act against that consultation, but they won't like. In short - put together good communications with the elected politicians and party officials from your community or state to support your application for an Executive appointment. 12-16-08
2008 - Next Administration Appointments: Now - with a new President and administration -
new people interested in Presidential appointments are positioning
themselves. It is a safe bet that the itch to serve the next
President is well developed in thousands of Americans - it is the nature
of the political beast - and they are all looking for appointments.
How that itch is organized and managed for the next two years will
determine who receives appointments - take a look at 2008
Appointments to consider the perspective and advice of this site..
Scientists in government: Scientists across the country have joined in a letter (see Letter) to both Presidential candidates asking for a close in and powerful appointee - even a cabinet department - to coordinate science advice to the new Presidential Administration. After eight years of direct conflict with the Bush Administration and the religious right which intentionally skewed, even edited out, scientific fact from government reports, the science world is seeking a a change. A NASA public relations employee was finally fired for refusing to publish any scientific report from NASA which referred to data older than the 6000 year "creation date" which is policy in some churches. An issue is that other departments try hard to control science appointments internally in a power struggle with the White House, arguing their control of appointments is critically to good management. Science Page 11-03-08 Appointees in Trouble: The torture issues presently before the Country raise tough moral, political, and legal questions which approach Constitutional proportions. Presidential Appointees are at the core of the issue - men and women appointed by President George W. Bush are on the firing line facing serious challenges and punishments for their conduct. A fundamental issue in studying appointee responsibilities is where a person's loyalties are placed - with the President who appointed that person - or to the Constitutional and legal principles of the United States. At the end of the Second World War there was general consensus that everyone from the top - Hitler in that war - to the lowest solider and civilian - had a duty to moral authority first - and political authority second. More than a few men died on the hangman's noose for violating that idea. Now the issue is raised again in the current torture cases. At present, there is a split of political leadership on the subject. So far - the people at the bottom of the chain of command - people who probably did the actual torture of terrorists are outside the risk area for prosecution. These are largely civil servants who are not political appointees of the President of the United States. However, at least four Justice Department appointees, Secretary Rice, Attorney General Gonzales, and perhaps both the President and Vice President are at risk of punishment for violating the law in order to justify known torture violations. At the least, there are going to be massive criticisms of these men and women. These issues of loyalty occur in every administration. The recent Bush administration that demanded dogmatic loyalty to administration policy seemed to have more allegiance to the President than to the the laws of the Nation which challenged his policies. The next years will be a time when the Nation reexamines the responsibilities of Presidential appointees to the Law and their conduct On Behalf of the People. (09-24-09) The Obama Cabinet is Complete: The Obama Cabinet is complete. The President-Elect's personal White House Staff and the staff of various Counselors in various areas, such as in the many economic subjects which are so important right now are taking shape. Among the inquiries we get at this site, most applicants for the less obvious positions are now doing their political due diligence in preparation of their applications. Most do not buy into the concept that the White House is never willing to make appointments without consultation with Representatives, Senators, Governors and other political forces related to the application. It is absolutely essential that applicants for patronage positions recognize the power of politicians in the ultimate decisions. Certainly, the White House may act against that consultation, but they won't like. In short - put together good communications with the elected politicians and party officials from your community or state to support your application for an Executive appointment. 12-24-08 Science and the White House - President Obama has a made a series of personnel decisions and policy decisions in the area of science and technology which reverses several decades of frustration for the science. More... Appointment Tracking: Presidential Nominations requiring Senate confirmation - from the point of a vacancy occurring through the confirmation processes until the retirement of appointee from that office, even the tracking steps to the ultimate retirement or death of that appointee are complex. The process itself is difficult but clearly available in the law and in the general procedures of the White House and the United States Senate. However, on a day-to-day basis long term tracking of nominations and subsequent results of the nomination and positioning of the nominee in office is a maze of internet pages, government documents, and the public press. Significant research by e-mail and telephone is often required.
Copyright 2009 John Isaacson 617 504 3699 Director@Presidential-Apppointments.org
|
