Unacceptable Vacancies (DOJ) Put US at Risk

[Demeter]

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/07/29/unacceptable-vacancies-put-us-at-risk/




Notwithstanding Mr. Gonzales’s assurances, other department officials said that, by several measurements, the work of the department has been severely disrupted by his troubles, especially in recent months. There are vacancies through the senior ranks….Among the 93 United States attorneys, who serve as the chief federal prosecutors for their regions, there are 24 vacancies. The White House has announced nominations for only six of those offices, which means that several of the jobs may remain unfilled for the rest of the Bush administration...This is not an approval from Congress problem – there simply have been no nominees put forward by the Bush Administration to fill the jobs. Out of the 24 open USAtty postitions, only six have potential nominees identified, none of whom have been sent up to the Hill as yet, only announced. This puts our nation at risk...24 vacancies out of the 93 total USAtty offices is simply unacceptable.

...we have this very same issue at the Department of Homeland Security? Where the enormous number of vacancies at top level strategy and implementation/supervisory positions is appalling, and which puts the nation’s security at risk every single day that they are left unfilled. Sure, George Bush tries to spin a good public game about his Administration being so tough on threats to our security —but when it comes to doing the real, hard work? They don’t even bother with filling jobs. National security is more than some swaggering bravado, a few press conferences, and a photo-op or two. That’s simply smoke and bullshit. It is a day to day grind, and the Bushies are not doing the work.

They aren’t even committed enough to find people with integrity to stand up and do the work for their nation. The Bushies have become so toxic, so broken, so untrustworthy that Republicans with integrity (there are still a few out there) don’t want to get anywhere near their Beltway circle.
They can no longer find people to fill these essential positions. And the nation is put at risk as a result.

That George Bush would rather allow those positions to be unfilled, empty placeholders rather than give up his dream of partisan hacks doing his bidding in them screams out for public outcry. That he has become so toxic that, even if he wanted to fill them with people of integrity, those same people would not trust him enough to think they would be allowed to do their jobs without White House political interference, needs to be a topic for public discussion. Regularly.

George Bush has taken a system that was balanced on integrity and trust, and injected mistrust and political foul play. And the Republican party, especially the enablers in the House, don’t see anything wrong with that at all.

[Kagemusha]

I would add, it's also come out the CDC's foreign positions are half unfilled.

All thanks to some idiot political appointee who can't stand the idea that these positions are filled by impartial scientists and not people who serve the President first and the People later. Maybe more patients like that guy who they thought had extreme drug-resistant TB will figure that they need to strike out on their own because the CDC has no resources to help them (as tragic as that might end up).

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

1. War on terror,my ass ! Bush is such a dictator that he can't see

the forest for the trees.

We are more vulnerable than we were Sep 10,2001.

[jimshoes]

3. Welcome aboard Fed up Grammy.

More and more people are seeing this bunch for what they really are.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

4. Thank you----I needed a place like DU. I can't even read the

newspaper anymore w/o flinging it,in frustration, to the floor.

[applegrove]

2. Another department the * WH wants to replace with the market?

[MessiahRp]

5. I'd rather have the positions vacant rather than filled by cronies.

Those cronies would be ordered to go after Democrats rather than prosecute real crimes anyway so anything keeping Bush from appointing more of his own thugs is something I don't mind at all.

Rp

[Demeter]

6. Don't You See? He Can't Even Get Cronies to do His Bidding!

Bush's credibility is SHOT!! Even the dumbest fundie flunkie can read the writing on the wall; work for this administration and end up in jail. He won't protect his pawns, but willingly sacrifice them to protect himself.

[trudyco]

7. So who does the work with them unfilled? Is that Bush's plan? -nt

[Demeter]

8. It Doesn't Get Done. On the Other Hand, Things Don't Get Worse

because there are no people to further dismantle the government.

[tom_paine]

9. They are training Loyal Bushies as quick as they can

I hear they are fast-tracking that 14-year-old Freeper for a Federal Judgeship overseeing the Executions at the Richard B. Cheney Homeland Security Relocation Camp.