One Burning Question: Will be Attorney General for food?

Q: What do some very prestigious, high-ranking, highly visible, powerful, desirable government posts have in common? A list appears below the fold.

• Secretary of the Department of Agriculture
• Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• Department of Justice – Attorney General
• Department of Justice – Deputy Attorney General
• Department of Justice – Associate Attorney General
• Department of Justice – Director of the Office of Legal Counsel
• Department of Justice – Director of the Office of Legal Policy
• Department of Justice – Head of the Civil Rights division
• Department of Justice – Head of the Natural Resources division
• Department of Justice – Head of the Tax division
• Department of State – Undersecretary for arms control and international security
• Department of State – Undersecretary for management
• Department of Homeland Security – General Counsel
• Department of Homeland Security – Undersecretary for national protection
• Department of Homeland Security – Assistant Secretary for strategic plans
• Department of Health and Human Services – Administrator of Medicare and Medicaid programs
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – Director

A: They’re all filled by Bush appointees who haven’t been confirmed by the Senate - and might not ever be!

An article in the NY Times speculates that Bush doesn't plan to fill some of these positions on a permanent basis. Whether this is because the "interim" appointee is so controversial, or so incompetent, that the Senate would never confirm the appointment, or whether the administration considers this particular aspect of Congressional oversight to be as unnecessary as all those other pesky checks and balances the Congress keeps trying to insist on, the administration has found another way to put more loyal Bushies in positions of incredible and frightening power. After all, why endure the scrutiny and criticism of recess appointments when you're this close to the end of your term and can make temporary appointments that bypass the Senate confirmation process and keep most of the government's power in the hands of your loyal minions?