For a Washington Job, Be Prepared to Tell All

[kskiska]

Source: NYT

WASHINGTON — Want a top job in the Obama administration? Only pack rats need apply, preferably those not packing controversy.

A seven-page questionnaire being sent by the office of President-elect Barack Obama to those seeking cabinet and other high-ranking posts may be the most extensive — some say invasive — application ever.

The questionnaire includes 63 requests for personal and professional records, some covering applicants’ spouses and grown children as well, that are forcing job-seekers to rummage from basements to attics, in shoe boxes, diaries and computer archives to document both their achievements and missteps.

Only the smallest details are excluded; traffic tickets carrying fines of less than $50 need not be reported, the application says. Applicants are asked whether they or anyone in their family owns a gun. They must include any e-mail that might embarrass the president-elect, along with any blog posts and links to their Facebook pages.

The application also asks applicants to “please list all aliases or ‘handles’ you have used to communicate on the Internet.”

The vetting process for executive branch jobs has been onerous for decades, with each incoming administration erecting new barriers in an effort to avoid the mistakes of the past, or the controversies of the present. It is typically updated to reflect technological change (there was no Facebook the last time a new president came to town).

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/us/politics/13apply.html?ref=politics

[Cleita]

1. Okay by me and it's about time.

I wondered how so many thugs got high level jobs in Washington. I mean most of us have to go through a lot of screening before we even get to be interviewed by the head of the department we may work in if hired. And that is not only in government but the private sector.

[tonycinla]

4. Are you sure?

There is a big downside by being too invasive.God knows how many good people did not run for office due to some problem in their life and did not want the exposure.Colin Powell did not run for president probably because his wife was on depression meds,Mario Cuomo,who I think would have been a great president,apparently had some skeleton in his closet.Lincoln had serious problems with depression,told dirty jokes and had a southern wife who had strong sympathies for the south.Grant was an alcoholic while he was a general and without him the north could well have lost the war.Truman was a failed businessman and had gone bankrupt,and the list goes on.The irony of it is Obama himself probably could not get a high security clearance,competent yes,loyal yes ,never pushed the envelope and gotten in a jam or two no.

[Cleita]

6. There's a difference about being invasive and getting the right information.

Many thousands of years ago, there were certain questions I refused to answer on an application like whether I was married or not. I really felt it wasn't the business of an employer or my hobbies and other busybody things. I got looked over for many jobs because of this, but interested employers allowed me to explain why I wouldn't tell them and I got hired. I do feel the things you are stating do not have anything to do with the job and shouldn't be asked including the medical questions like the alcoholism. This would be up to the investigators to inquire of previous employers about that.

I once applied for a government job overseas and couldn't fill in all the places I had ever lived in or gone to school. My family tried to help me fill everything in but they couldn't help. We had moved around a lot and records had not been kept. It had to do with a security clearance. I didn't finish the application. The agency called me up and asked me why I hadn't come back with the information and I explained to them I didn't have all the information they wanted and the family couldn't help. So the agent asked me to come in and I was interviewed line by line. They got enough information with what information that I could supply them with. I got the job but before I had to leave for training, my dad got deadly ill and I had to stay home to help my mother.

What I'm trying to say is that there has to be some background and information check for a job. I agree that invasive, non-relevant
questions need not be answered.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. OMG... I've had so many email alias' over the years. sheesh!

[mwooldri]

7. I guess it keeps sense to stick to your assigned username at school then...

... my username here is the exact initial part of my username for the computers at university. My email address was [e-mail] - of course it's dead now but that part before the @ has stuck with me forever.

But I was once known as Susie on a computer system...

Mark.

[Berry Cool]

3. Wow. I expect if their standards are this high, they won't be able to vet

anyone but newborn babies.

That is, assuming their parents haven't blogged about their births.

I mean, I can see why, but sheesh.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. I KNOW! 'every email that might embarrass president elect'? I've been emailing for

more than 10 years. lol. :rofl:

[Norrin Radd]

8. Would having heated discussions about superheros

on a comic book forum be considered an embarrassment?

[customerserviceguy]

12. If you dissed The Hulk

that might be interpreted as being anti-green.

[4lbs]

9. Well... if we truly want a transparent government, that should include everyone that works in the

President's administation.

I don't think anything minor in an applicant's past will be used to exclude him/her, but if they are uncomfortable talking about it, that's a red flag.

Obama freely admits to all the bad things he's done in his childhood, and expects his workers to be the same way.

[Robbien]

10. Current GOPers holding jobs in the government should be required to fill out

this questionnaire. Their answers would be cause to fire about 99.9% of them.

[SpiralHawk]

11. "I did not have intimate hand holding with that oil prince, Mr. bin Laden." - Commander AWOL

"So I want one of those stay-on-vacation, no-show jobs, where my capacity for FAIL can be recognized, supported and rewarded. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL (R)

[Javaman]

13. And how is this different from any other federal job? Either way, you still

get investigated. putting false info on the job application will get found out anyway. Do you honestly think that you are going to land a Federal job without being investigated by the FBI or the Secret Service? if so, I have a great bridge to sell you.

folks, use some common sense. jesus.

[tabbycat31]

14. at least he is vetting people

because we all know what happens when vetting does NOT happen. See Sarah Palin (and Joe the plumber for that matter)

[Bryan]

15. I'm very pleased to read this

The Republicans and the news media will be dying to find a hint of impropriety they can magnify into a scandal; remember when Clinton was trying to pick an AG in his first term, and illegal immigrant child-care workers suddenly became the single biggest issue in the history of the republic?