The "Cronyism is Nothing New" Lie

[Bleacher Creature]

I was just watching a discussion about Brownie's "firing" on an unnamed network and the anchor tried to defend the Bush Administration by pointing out that political cronyism is a part of the system. This is about the 10th time I've heard this line during the past 2 days. It's a bunch of bull every time.

First of all, I personally have no problem with the idea of filling certain spots with your political supporters. Others may object, but I think that it can be done properly. That said, it's not an excuse to appoint incompetent people to critical roles. There are PLENTY of people who are politically active and who also are considered to be experts in their field, whether that be emergency management, environmental protection, economics, labor relations etc. James Lee Witt was a top notch person in his field who was ALSO a Clinton supporter.

Second, if you do want to give a favor to a person (like Mike Brown) who is totally unqualified for ANYTHING, there are places for them as well. On her show, Randi Rhodes pointed out that you can always make someone an ambassador to a diplomatically insignificant country like Burundi or Luxembourg.

But to appoint someone like Mike Brown to be head of FEMA -- not to mention the number 2-5 people there -- is a travesty beyond all comprehension, and is most likely criminal in my book.

[Union Thug]

1. Murder, rape, and genocide are nothing new either...

but are they acceptable and tolerated?

[rodeodance]

3. cryonism IS part of the system--yet not for Emergency Departments

that demand competance. Period!!

[rodeodance]

4. Bush blew this one and now it is the spin game. Real boring!

[Union Thug]

11. It is part of the system, but it shouldn't be. And we shouldn't tolerate..

...this elitist-welfare state in our democracy.

I get the same bullshit argument from libertarians who tell me that humans can't have a more egalitarian society because they are greedy.
Um...so what? Apart from a position on human bevahior that accepts without critique the homo-economicus view of social life, it fails to take into account that we already recognize human behaviors that we as a society agree are unacceptable and we legislate against them.

For these people to this stuff off as a big 'aw-well, dat's da way it goes' is a failure of democracy of the the highest magnitude.

[OnionPatch]

7. Exactly!

It doesn't make it right.

[maine_raptor]

2. Actually Clinton's appointment of Jame Lee Witt was cronyism

but unlike Brown's appointment, Witt KNEW what he was doing.

[rodeodance]

6. the comback should be--Clinton put a competant crony in FEMA!

[K-W]

14. Well thats debatable.

It depends on whether you define cronyism as simply showing paritiality to friends, or partiality to friends without regard to qualificiations.

Witt doesnt fit the latter which is a common understanding of cronyism.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. agreed

political supporters always used to demand offices-Lincoln was plagued by them all the time. I remember reading an incident where a man came up asking for the postmastership of a small town, claiming to be "a lifelong Republican". Lincoln reminded him the party had only been around since 1854!

That being said, it was Chester A. Arthur who instituted the first civil service reform, so that presidents no longer could appoint politicos to many governmental offices. That being said, the diplomatic corps has always been a place to hide away incompetents whose only claim to fame was their large donation check. I'm sure there are a lot of Bush supporters at Halliburton who would have done a better job as FEMA director, but they probably didn't want to take a pay cut.

[maine_raptor]

8. Yea and Arthur put that into place when he took office when

Garfield died as the result of an assassination by a "disappointed office seeker."

[slor]

9. Yeah sure...

a few ambassadorships, to some obscure country is ok, I guess. But the head of FEMA! This is criminal, and requires prosecution of the person that allowed the failure. And that is the angry monkey-man that some call the president.

[blm]

10. GOP forced an investigation of Clinton changing a gawddam TRAVEL OFFICE

that effected NOONE'S SAFETY OR LIFE.

If Bush cared about this COUNTRY, he would have acknowledged that Witt was the best FEMA head in its' history and begged him to stay for the good of the country.

But, all he shows is concern for USING disasters to line the pockets of his family and cronies.

[Divernan]

12. Used to be that SUCCESSFUL businessmen SACRIFICED for public good

A little history for you younger DUers. Used to be that really successful businessmen (and they were all men back then) saw it as a matter of love-of-country to give up their corporate salaries and come to Washington to serve in those top level appointee positions at federal agencies. I remember quotes from them:
Yes, it is a sacrifice to take the pay cut, but I am honored to serve my country. Or sometimes they said they had profited greatly in this country and they wanted to return something in the way of PUBLIC SERVICE. These guys tended to be at the end of their careers - late 50's, early 60's, and did NOT leave their appointed offices to become lobbyists or consultants making even more money off their govt. experience. And they were quite competent tand experienced to manage the agencies.

Under Bush, politically connected people expect these appointments in exchange for their sizable campaign contributions (often from inherited wealth). They also expect (and are promised and given) extremely large "bonuses" for sitting on their incompetent butts, attending international meetings, and mingling with each other at DC receptions. The bonuses are supposedly given agency-wide to allemployees. But here's the deal - the professional civil service employees get a $300-500 but the political appointees and the political hires (not at an appointed level, but people with political connections, brought in at GS 12 or above civil service rankings), are given tens of thousands of $$$ - equivalent to 33% bonuses.

[bklyncowgirl]

13. The trick is to put your cronies where they can't do any harm.

Bush's pals incompetence cost lives.