Jobs Still Elude Some Bush Ex-Officials

[Doctor Cynic]

Source: WSJ

The jobless rate is hanging high -- for many of the roughly 3,000 political appointees who served President George W. Bush. Finding work has proved a far tougher task than those appointees expected.

"This is not a great time for anyone to be job hunting, including numerous former political appointees," said Carlos M. Gutierrez, Mr. Bush's commerce secretary. Previously chief executive of cereal maker Kellogg Co., he hopes to run a company again because "I have a lot of energy."

Only 25% to 30% of ex-Bush officials seeking full-time jobs have succeeded, estimated Eric Vautour, a Washington recruiter at Russell Reynolds Associates Inc. That "is much, much worse" than when Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton left the White House, he said. At least half those presidents' senior staffers landed employment within a month after the administration ended, Mr. Vautour recalled.

A handful of Bush cabinet officers have accepted academic appointments. Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson joined Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies as a fellow. Condoleezza Rice, previously secretary of state, resumed her Stanford University roles as a political-science professor and senior fellow at its Hoover Institution think tank.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123518630430139343.html?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1&

[WillParkinson]

1. I love it...

When the use Republicans and "think tank" in the same sentence.

[exboyfil]

2. Letting Bush's Commerce Secretary run your company is like

having Typhoid Mary handle food service. Keep looking Gutierrez. Our local Wendy's is advertising for help, but, with your resume??? Not sure you would be qualified.

What words of wisdom does Paulson have to impart? How best to feather your friends' nests when they are having hard times? That seems to be all he really did as Treasury Secretary.

[Webster Green]

3. Hope they wind up homeless on the street..

That would be sweet. The more they suffer, the better. :rofl:

[cabluedem]

5. Or club fed. They sure have made others homeless. nt

[cabluedem]

4. Lots of job in prison where they belong. nt

[burrowowl]

6. Doesn't Obama realize that

investigation and conviction of Bu$hies would be a kind thing to do. Prison would provide them a roof over their heads and food.

[MrModerate]

7. "I see by your resume, Mr. X, that you were a cog . . . "

In the most dysfunctional machine in human governing history. As this company is a going concern, with roots in the reality-based community, I just don't think you'd fit in. What? No . . . I can't actually think of any companies in this industry for which you'd be a good fit. Have you tried roller derby or textile management?

[and-justice-for-all]

8. would'nt hire'em to clean a toilet...nt

[DFW]

12. Whyever not? That is their one area of expertise!

[DFW]

9. Well, how many ex-Bushies are looking where these are the job requirements?:

"Applicant must have proven dishonesty, corruptibility and incompetence, plus
must show strong traits of meanness, religious fanaticism and vindictiveness."

I mean, those few jobs that have the above as requirements have surely long been
filled by ex-Bushies who knew where to apply early on. The rest of them still have
excellent job prospects once they learn to speak fluent Pashto--with their soulmates
in the Taliban.

[Cirque du So-What]

10. Misleading title is typical for one of Rupert's rags

To be truthful, the title of this article would be 'Jobs Still Elude MOST Bush Ex-Officials,' seeing that 70-75% of a group constitutes 'most' of it. The word 'some,' however, implies a much smaller number of BushCo minions running around with the indelible stamp of FAIL on their foreheads.

[Orsino]

11. The Wrecking Crew can't find work?

Perhaps some are beginning to realize that the getaway car only seats five.

[Javaman]

13. "it appears here, mr. so and so, that there is a rather large gap in your employment history..

what have you been doing for the past 8 years?