Your explanation for the mass exodus of Bush's cabinet?

[TeddyKGB]

Mine:

This is what happens at college sports programs that are about to be sanctioned by the NCAA -- the staffs are cleared to shelter the university and the staff from ties to the scandal.

It's coming, folks - and in a BIG way.

[demodonkey]

1. Rats Leaving A Sinking Ship. nt

[mike_c]

8. I don't think so....

At least not yet. Rather, I think most of those cabinet members are moving aside (not necessarily willingly, mind you) so that the neocons can consolidate their grip on the executive branch. Look for more appointments of the ultra-faithful like Rice at State. This amounts to a bloodless coup of sorts.

[Zynx]

2. Clinton sacked seven Secretaries when he was re-elected.

I wouldn't read too much into this.

[TeddyKGB]

13. Powell wasn't expected to leave for another six months or so.

His early exit IS a surprise -- and, quite frankly, leaves a mess at the State Department.

What do you "read into" that?

[midem]

22. but

he was telling everyone he would leave after one term. It should be no surprise. It will hurt the country though to not have his moderating service in this hostile administration.

[Reality Not Tin Foil]

23. Easy...

Bush, wanting to get his new "Team" going as quickly as possible, was told by Powell that he was going to leave in a few months. Bush, again, wanting to get them all started at the same time asked Powell to leave now, if he was going to leave eventually anyway.

Sorry...No big conspiracy here...

[midem]

20. I agree,

this is just a standard shakeup. Also, would you want to work for Bush for more than four years when there are big corporations just begging to pay you half a million per year for your name on the letter head.

[ClassWarrior]

3. The spells that Bar put on them wore off?

:shrug:

NGU.

[hippiechick]

4. Naw, I think the real undead are coming out of their bunkers ...

The invisible gov't that has run the shit since 01 is now free and clear to wander the countryside and do as it pleases, since there's nobody to stop Herr Bush.

The former cabinet was just a front of 'moderate leadership' for public consumption.


:hippie:

[BlueEyedSon]

7. I'll go with that too

[Estel]

9. I agree...

BabyBush doesn't have to appease anyone but himself now and he's putting those closest to him in key spots, so all his dirty dealings will stay secret.

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Loyalty &Control. nt

[BOSSHOG]

6. Possibly

Big Money on the outside for these guys. However, with bush not having to run for office again he can surround himself with those more attuned to his hate and ignorance. Powell, a voice of reason, if not a weak one, was forced out by the neanderthals who have no use for thoughtfulness or honor or integrity.

[knowbody0]

10. something's up

let's just pray it is not plans to cremate the planet
hopefully morality leads them away, that they are not being chased.
the "all is well on the western front" is a really bad B movie

[Rose Siding]

11. Cabinet changes between terms are customary

It's not unusual.

[TeddyKGB]

15. see post #13

[Perky]

12. Burnout

tire of lying...tireed of stupid ill conceived policy that they are obliged to defend.

They want to make some money. Book deals. Board of Directors..

[Reality Not Tin Foil]

24. LOL! There's your basic answer!!

They're all tired of the STUPIDITY!!

Who WOUDLN'T be??

LOL!!

[SoCalDem]

26. Four years of on-the-job training for BIG$$ board of directors' positions

These people shuttle in and out of government.. They will be raking in the dough. Speaking toours..tell-nothing books..board of directorships for more money than they made in the WH..Paid "analysts" for Fox... radio shows..magazine columns..

It's just a sabbatical.. They will be back in another repube administration..

[Kansas Wyatt]

14. Before the election....

The media was suggesting that a few may leave if Bush had another term, and the Bush camp kept preaching that everyone was staying and nobody was going to leave if there was another term. Now, it is a question of who will stay.

[Stuckinthebush]

16. They are ready to cash in their equity

Look, it happens in all administrations that get a second term. The first termers are tired of working 18 hour days and getting a pittance compared to what they could get in the corporate world. So, they take their resumes to corporate America hungry to have a Bushie on staff, and they get paid millions in their new positions.

[Warpy]

17. Typical ideological purge

The people being forced out are the ones who stayed the entire 4 years hoping Chimpo would listen to reason. We all know that he's completely disconnected from reality, and now his echo chamber will be airtight. No one will be left to issue a discordant note in the fascist opera.

Everyone will be rubberstamped by a tame congress.

[bain_sidhe]

18. Josh Marshall says: Consolidating control

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_11_14.php#003995

So is Bush moving to the right or the center in term two?

Wrong metric. He's moving to exert greater control.

Look at the pattern.

Neither Ms. Rice nor Mr. Gonzales are the neo-cons' or the conservatives' choice for their respective offices-to-be.

In each case they're acceptable; but no more.

What distinguishes each is their connection to the president, their loyalty and their fealty. Neither has any base in the city or standing anywhere else absent their connection to him. And in appointing them he has placed the State Department and the Justice Department under his direct and unmediated control as surely as the various members of the White House staff already are.

Which is certainly a good thing since if there is one thing this president sorely needs it is more yes-men.

What I'd like to know is, how does this compare with Nixon's "imperial presidency"? I was too young to be really paying attention during Nixon's term... as a teenager, I was more concerned with boys, rock bands, teen angst, surviving the school "cliques" and such. Plus, I grew up in a small farming community where the world was not too much with us. In general, we were only vaguely aware of events beyond our small stage.

Was this level of control of the apparatus of state power present in Nixon's time? I mean, Bush has his loyalists in control of virtually every arm of state power - AG in charge of federal prosecutions, not to mention the CIA and FBI, Rummy at Defense, Rice at State - every institution that could be used for suppression and "police state tactics" is now being run by people loyal to bu**sh** personally rather than to the institution or the Constitution, or the country as a whole.

I find it very scary, and I'd be somewhat reassured to find out that it's been done - and survived - before.

[baldguy]

19. It's a political purge.

Similar to what's happening at the CIA. The FBI, Justice Dept, State Dept & Def Dept will follow.

Bushco is taking administrative advice from Joseph Stalin.

[Reality Not Tin Foil]

21. The non-tin foil (And therefore probably correct) answer??

They've lost, what, one cabinet member in 4 years? And I've read that commonly, cabinent members last an average of 2 years due to the wear and tear,the 25 hour per day, 8 day per week requirements of the job.

They're leaving because they've done their duty for their country, as THEY see it (As warped as that thought might be).

They're giving themsselves a break, just like members of past administrations have done.

Personally, I'm surprised they haven't lost more over the past 4 years. The fact that they haven't is just now catching up with them and all are leaving at the same time rather than different times.


Of course that's just my opinion...

[Rambis]

25. Normal attrition

Anyone that would work for this clown is suspect so having them leave is not a big deal IMO.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

27. Might be normal, might be something more

the real test will be when we see how many have left in a few month's time.

If you see even more resignations between now and say, January, it might just be more than normal attrition.

Also, in past re-elections of an incumbent, did the resignations happen this quickly?