"The patronage of public office should no longer be confided to one who uses it for active opposition to the national will."
--Thomas Jefferson
"It was, I believe, a crucial miscalculation from the President and his advisers to believe this nomination would have brought all of us together. Or perhaps ... it is an instance where consensus was not the objective."
--Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
(a thank you to http://www.failureisimpossible.com/needtoknow/cabinet.htm for the above quotes and some of the info)
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Today's terrific news brought a sigh of relief to me. Ashcroft is gone, removing a large tumor from the Bush Administration. But that got me thinking, there are still many tumors left?
It's not just Ashcroft, it's the entire cabinet. It is proof positive that the Democratic party had its head up its collective ass in 2000. I hope they wake up and filibuster the types Bush nominated in 2000 and encourage moderates, or candidates who at least have their sanity.
A quick look at Bush's top officials (non-Rove and Cheney) below the fold...
Colin Powell, State
He lied to the U.N. He asserted it was irrefutible fact then lied. Maybe he is an innocent bystander in all this Iraq mess, with Abu Ghraib, GitMo, Fallujah, Najaf, etc. However, he lied to the U.N.
John Ashcroft, Attorney General
"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." Really? So we are at Threat Level Blue now? Or is it Green for go? Seriously, what is the good color?
Terrorism was not on his Top 5 priorities when he took the position, and unfortunately it shows. That bothers me even more than covering up Justice's booby and "Let the Eagle Soar". But no more than the Patriot Act.
Donald Rumsfeld, Defense
If I have to summarize Rumsfeld for you, Welcome to DailyKos!
Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor
Hmm, this memo's title is "Bin Laden determined to strike inside US", let's file it as historical! This woman has a Chevron OIL TANKER named after her, for chrissakes. Where do you think her loyalties lie?
Tom Ridge, Homeland Security
"Those are Kerry's new poll numbers? Time to raise the alert to magenta again..."
It's hard to feel safe when cargo holds of planes and ships entering our ports aren't checked.
John Snow, Treasury
John Paul O'Neill had a conscience and couldn't take the fact that the Secretary of Treasury's sole job in the Bush Administration is to advocate tax cuts, even when they are a mistake. Snow has no conscience, so there is no problem any more.
Don Evans, Commerce
What exactly does the Secretary of Commerce do? Olbermann just said he had enough free time that he stopped by Countdown on Election Day. I guess he needed more free time.
Gail Norton, Interior
How positively Orwellian. She is a scourge of the environment, supporting drilling in Alaska and all other policies anti-environment.
Elaine Chao, Labor
Is she responsible for the craze in outsourcing? How about the loss of oh so many jobs?
Spencer Abraham, Energy
I haven't heard anyone mention Enron in a while. I don't hear much about security around nuclear facilities either. Maybe it's because Bush can't pronounce it.
Tommy Thompson, Health and Human Services
What's "Flu Season"? What do you mean we need to stock up on flu shots? Well, what about that Medicare bill I got through, eh?
Alphonso Jackson, Housing and Urban Development
Replaced hatemongerer Mel Martinez. Phew... Wait, you say he's heading back to Washington? Aw, nuts.
The amount of low income housing available is way down since Clinton left office, like I had to tell you that.
Rod Paige, Education
"Me fail english? That's unpossible!"
More and more kids will sound like Ralph Wiggum with the severe underfunding of our schools. Plus, in Feb 2004, he referred to the NEA as a "terrorist organization".
Norman Minetta, Transportation
The token Democrat in W's Cabinet. Do you think the other members of the Cabinet invite him to go out to party with them after work?
So, quite a group, eh? I can't even fit them all in the poll!