Hillary Calls WH Vetting Process A 'Nightmare'

[babylonsister]

Clinton: Vetting for USAID job 'ridiculous'
AP

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 21 mins ago


WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is blaming an exhaustive White House vetting process for the fact that the Obama administration has not yet named a person to run the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Six months into the administration's tenure without having appointed someone to the agency's top spot, Clinton told USAID employees on Monday that several people had turned down the job due to overly burdensome financial and personal disclosure requirements that she called a "nightmare," "frustrating beyond words" and "ridiculous."

She also said the White House had turned down her request to announce on Monday that someone — expected by officials to be physician and Harvard University professor Paul Farmer who is well known for his work in Haiti — would be named to the post soon.

"Let me just say it's not for lack of trying," Clinton said in response to an employee's question about the delay, despite her and President Barack Obama's stated desire to have USAID play a bigger role in American foreign policy. "We have worked very hard with the White House on looking for a candidate who, number one, wants the job."

The comment drew laughter from the audience, prompting her to say: "It's been offered." She then launched into a critique of the vetting process.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090713/ap_on_re_us/us_us_clinton_usaid

[Raine1967]

1. Oh dear.

Not sure how I feel about this...

[AspenRose]

2. With all due respect, Madam Secretary

if it weren't vigorous, we'd end up with more situations like what Daschle faced.

It needs to be vigorous because the GOP is looking for ANY possible slip up to pin on the administration. We can't allow that to happen.

[karynnj]

14. Maybe she should speak to her husband on what happens

when you inadequately vet nominees - he was burned many times.

[hileeopnyn8d]

3. I bet it is a nighmare

but at least that nightmare doesn't play out on Fox News. Which is where it would be if the WH didn't properly vet them.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Yah - saw here complaining about that earlier. Makes you wonder how little vetting there should be..

According to her.

[MADem]

5. Consider her audience. She was speaking to employees within the organization.

They want to know why the damn job hasn't been filled. She told them the truth. The vetting process is off-putting to some people, and it is a nightmare. They do everything short of crawl up your ass and check for polyps. Every aspect of your personal life is run through the wringer, and shredded and scattered about.

[Raine1967]

6. Excellent point.

I think we need a vetting Czar!

[Beacool]

11. It's not only a nightmare,

it's also very expensive and way too intrusive.

Hillary only stated a fact.

:shrug:

[karynnj]

15. I agree with that

I just wish that she would have spoken from a "we" point of view as part of the administration - explaining what you said, but arguing that alternative of not doing it is great enough, that it has to be done.

[bigwillq]

7. How long, on average, does it usually take

to fill a position like this? I really have no idea. Any help would be appreciated. :)

[MADem]

8. Depends on if you are filling it with someone from within, or without, government.

There is a horrible form you have to fill out--for starters. It's a background check on steroids. If you are "from within" government, you have already filled one out, and you have a copy of it saved, so it's easier to fill out the next time you have to do it.

For people who are coming "from without" government, it's daunting. It's intrusive. It's Big Brother-ish. And that's just the forms.

The pre-interviews are even worse. You aren't allowed to have any secrets.

[bigwillq]

10. Thanks for your response.

I would hope the government is very thorough in this process. I have no issue with waiting until the right candidate is found.

[Dappleganger]

9. Well if people like Geithner and Summers can get through it...

people shouldn't say it is TOO restrictive.

[Autumn]

12. I have to recommend this this thread just

because of your post. You are absolutely right.

[karynnj]

16. It is possible that the administration wanted these two

men enough that they were willing to take the hit when things came out. They were really in steamroller mode there.

[karynnj]

13. Ugggh

I really dislike that in HRC's direct quotes, she fingerpoints towards Obama creating a "us" vs "they". She is part of the administration - this should be a "we", not a "me" and "them". Why not answer that there is a problem that needed to be solved in how to adequately vet appointees in a faster, less invasive way - but still minimizing the chance for the administration being embarrassed.

Paul Farmer, incidentally, sounds like an excellent choice

The Heinz Award for the Human Condition goes to Paul E. Farmer for his work in treating deadly infectious diseases among the world's poorest people.

Dr. Farmer is a medical doctor and a professor of anthropology at Harvard's Medical School who shuttles between Harvard and Haiti, where he maintains a practice at Clinique Bon Saveur, a charity hospital he helped found in the central plateau of Haiti.

Research in anthropology took him to Haiti in 1983; the medical needs of the poorest people in the western hemisphere keep taking him back. Infectious disease is endemic to the developing world because poverty breeds conditions hostile to good health. Haiti was challenged by an HIV/AIDS epidemic that began ravaging the island nation in the 1980s. International health experts firmly believed effective treatment of the virus and disease was impossible in the developing world.

Paul Farmer disagreed. He believes access to quality health care is a basic human right. He successfully challenged the conventional wisdom that AIDS drug treatment was too complicated to use in treating the poor in developing countries.

http://www.heinzawards.net/recipients/paul-farmer

[BluegrassDem]

17. I'm sure the WH didn't take too kindly to her remarks

Obama hasn't appointed more people to various positions than not, so it's obvious that a person can go through the vetting process. I always figure that if someone doesn't want a job because of vetting, then there's likely something in their background they'd rather not get out to the public.