The White House "C" Team

Dick Meyer: Personnel Changes Could Improve President Bush's Cabinet From A "D+" To A "C" Roster

(CBS)  This commentary was written by CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer.

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White House personnel lineups generally lose their all-star quality by the last 18 months of a two-term administration. Not so with the maverick regime of George W. Bush. He began his term with a "D+" roster and, depending on who he selects as attorney general to replace his pal, Fredo, he could end up with a gentleman's "C." Possibly a "C+."

Unfortunately, any improvement in the president's GPA is basically irrelevant to the country at this point. It's too late. President Bush should have studied his history more. It wouldn't have taken more than an hour.

The Bush White House was stocked with cronies. There's nothing wrong with cronies. Some of my best friends are cronies. A president needs cronies. But they shouldn't be working in the White House.

The ultimate Bush crony, Dick Cheney, is an odd case. Cheney's appointment was probably his most widely praised personnel move. When he elevated Cheney from head of his vice presidential search team to his actual nominee, the bulk of the punditry was positive. A bold, gutsy move. Young George needs a gray hair, even a bald one. Don't worry about geography and electoral votes, go for competence.

It didn't work out quite that way.

Cheney was never actually a crony. He was brought on to be the campaign's grown-up and then the administration's grown-up. But the president trusted him like he would a crony. Presidents aren't supposed to trust vice presidents that much, for good reason. Cheney set up a separate power base and even, uniquely in history, a separate bureaucracy. But Mr. Bush thought he was a regular guy so he didn't see the pal's putsch. It didn't matter too much because Bush probably agreed with Cheney most of the time. It was just that Cheney thought of stuff first.

The administration's first chief of staff, Andrew Card, was also just a semi-crony. Mr. Bush's first National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, fits the same mold.

But the rest of the White House staff was Crony City. Karl Rove probably had more official power than any paid political consultant in history. His power was in policy, not just politics. His close aide Ken Mehlman also came over from the campaign.

Karen Hughes was a top-tier crony with no federal experience. She brought her whole communications operation straight over from the campaign. Clay Johnson, a friend from Andover and Yale, ran personnel.

The White House Legal Counsel was Alberto Gonzales. His deputy was Harriet Miers. Enough said.

In that original crowd, only Cheney and Card had any real Washington experience. Bush said that lack of experience was a virtue. It could have been true if he or his staff had what Napoleon Dynamite called "skills."

Mr. Bush, eventually, brought in more grown-ups like Fred Fielding as counsel and Tony Snow as press secretary. Joshua Bolten replaced Andrew Card - a fair swap.

Rove, Gonzales, and Karen Hughes are gone, though Hughes is over at the State Department.

Most of the cabinet changes have been improvements too: Robert Gates for Donald Rumsfeld, Henry Paulson for Paul O'Neill via John Snow, Michael Hayden for George Tenet via Porter Goss, Tom Ridge for Michael Chertoff (post 9/11) and anyone for John Ashcroft via Alberto Gonzales.

All that might bring the grade up to a "C."

Bush's model seems to have been the Clinton administration. Bad call. Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush both brought in tough, seasoned non-cronies at the top of the White House roster. Not Bill Clinton.

Remember Mack McClarty, the Arkansas natural gas man who was Clinton's Chief of Staff until Leon Panetta was brought in to clean up the mess? How about Bernie Nussbaum, the White House counsel who got the president into so much hot water until Lloyd Cutler bailed him out? And poor Vince Foster?

Dee Dee Myers was the youngest press secretary ever until Mike McCurry came in for cleanup duty. Campaign wonder boys George Stephanopoulos and Rahm Emanuel had big White House jobs before they went off for greater fame and greater fortune. Webb Hubbell was detached to the Justice Department to keep and eye on Janet Reno. Hillary Clinton was in charge of health care policy.

Bill Clinton probably knew as much about the nuts and bolts of government domestic policy as any president. George W. Bush knew a lot less. Both started their administrations in Permanent Campaign mode. Both would have been better served by the teams they had at the end instead of the beginning. They might have been able to govern with popular support.

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E-mail questions, comments, complaints, arguments and ideas to
Against the Grain. We will publish some of the interesting (and civil) ones, sometimes in edited form.

[citizenusa-2009]

Nicely written, factual article. It details ONE of the many, many, reasons Bush has been a failure as a leader. Chief among them (excuse the pun), is the fact that his view of himself and his decision making abilities are so exaggerated, that it''s almost laughable. As a result, he has become a dangerous liability to our country. His cronies of course, have been incompetent, but that is a reflection of Bush''s poor judgment and inability to face his many shortcomings. Cheney is clearly an opportunist and George doesn''t have the sense to see it. All around, a bad deal for the U.S. He and his "cronies" (the few that remain) need to be escorted out of the White House, as we Pray for the Troops.

[brianbwb-2009]

CitizenUSA, you are too lenient, I say they should be escorted under armed guard to be tried for treason, and those found guilty escorted to a federal pen to await the firing squad.

they should not be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their treasons, and the money they stole should go back to the treasury, their personal fortunes, acquired before they got into the WH should be shared among the families of the dead victims.

[knyghtwolf]

Bush(wacker) from A to Z: asinine, *** bully, coward, delusional dipstick, egomaniac, fool, glutton, headcase, IDIOT, ***, killer of children, lunkhead loser, maniac meathead, nitwit, out there, paranoid pudsmack, queersteer, rachethead, STUPID, toilet breath, uglier than homemade sin, vulturous victimizer, wacko, xenophobe, yuckster, zippy the pinhead.
Anyone want to add to the list? Someone needs to get this all documented because in the future, providing we have one after THIS administration/regime, someone would think this was all science fiction. The bush name will be like Hitler, Dalhmer, or any other infamous name, I quit buying bush beans because of the name alone!!!!

[tychon-2009]

Cheney is a private actor -not a public servant- who is locked-in between the U.S.-imposed energy contracts with Europe (Gasgate 1963: the European Constriction / La Condition Americaine) and the ''homeland security policies'' Patriot Act.

Please compare:
www.complexxon.org

[bluestardad]

THIS ADMINISTRATION IS THE WORST IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA!

[mcvet]

This Administration and it''s head, George Bush, is the biggest embarrassment this nation has ever had. Why do I say that when Nixon isn''t that far gone? Because there''s so much this little piece of White Trash isn''t allowing us to see. For some strange reason the Klan has never believed it''s dirty laundry would be exposed. Bush is their Grand Wizard so it''s only natural he''d think like that. Sieg Heil and let''s burn that cross!!

[mimi611]

Well Said By All

[drinuk]

The photograph chosen for this piece tells a thousand tales. My colleague referred to them as the Three Stooges, I disagree, the Three Stooges gave us fun and pleasure, lightened our load and will always be remembered fondly.

These three will go down in American history as infamous crooks who destroyed the good name of our country, gave us little to smile about and killed thousands of our young men and women. The photograph should be hung in the rouges gallery along with Capone, Dillinger and all the CEO''s of Corporate America who they have been in bed with.

We need to eradicate their memory and behaviour as soon as possible, tomorrow will not be soon enough.

[ademeyer]

Not sure why you had to bring Clinton into an article on Bush''s bad choices. Bush is a league unto himself in choosing his staff: Remember Bolten, a guy who openly mocked the UN, who Bush chose to be our UN ambassador? Rumsfeld, the Defense Secretary who argued for a smaller military as the administration moved to invade two countries at once? Brownie and Chertoff, disaster relief managers who couldn''t stand each other? And whatever your problem with Janet Reno was, she was Lady Justice herself compared to the unqualified, lying, partisan Bush appointee Alberto Gonzales, the ultimate crony and worst AG in our history.

[xlib]

I''m sure President Bush is the only President to have ever brought in "cronies". Now, just who was vince foster, web hubbell (is he still in jail for bubba), etc, etc.
ainttaken-you really want to talk about greed? OK,reagan was vilified for going on a speaking tour after he left the WH. Your guy, bubba, is raking in millions since leaving office. He''s on the bankroll of the UAE, 6/11/02 to the tune of $150,000. On 11/15/05 to the tune of $300,000. Remember all the flax about Dubai taking over security of our ports, hill was against it but bubba was all for it. Little press coverage but if you have the stomach, look it up for yourself.
Sure, let''s talk about greed.

[xlib]

ademeyer-why bring in clinton? Well, in case you''ve been at the koolaid vat too long, they want back in. That''s why. It continues to amaze me how the left refuses to admit any faults when it comes to the clinton''s. Why, just yesterday I posted a little news that wasn''t covered here about the missus taking $1million in a campaign contribution from Norman Hsu, wanted felon. See, this guy was also a big contributor to kerry. Seems the missus gave the money away to charity, perhaps one of her own that goes unclaimed. Amazing how she didn''t know, amazing. Smartest woman in the world I hear. So, the clintons will remain relevent because they want back in. Any more questions?

[creeper00]

You give Bush a D+ for his cabinet at the start of this term????

You''re kidding, right? This piece is supposed to be in the humor section, isn''t it?

I''ll send the webmaster an e-mail and have him fix it.

[gkc99]

One thing can be said for cronies--they don''t buck you. Their only talent is being the crony of a guy in power, in this case Georgie Bushit, inflicted upon the nation by the Texassholes. Bushit can''t stand anyone who doesn''t suck wad and kiss a$$. Putting a person with a mind in a position under Bushit would be like a thorn up Bushit''s exit tube.

Nixon, for his faults, was genuinely smart, hard-working and self made. Likewise Clinton. But Bushit is a spoiled little boy, Daddy''s money and Daddy''s connections are the only, the only reason he didn''t rise just to his natural level of incompetence, perhaps running a used car dealership in Plano.

And we don''t forget how the good folk of Texas sent this traitorour little cockroach to damage us. Thanks, Texass! Now you can secede.

[creeper00]

My comment below didn''t make it clear that I think anything above an "F" is denying reality.

As for comparing Bush''s cabinet to Clinton''s, that''s not a constructive criticism at all. "Bill did it, so that mitigates the blame on George" is a pathetically weak argument.

Clinton didn''t do one-tenth the harm to this country that Bush has done.

[creeper00]

"Why, just yesterday I posted a little news that wasn''''t covered here about the missus taking $1million in a campaign contribution from Norman Hsu, wanted felon.
Posted by Xlib at 08:15 AM : Aug 30, 2007"

You almost had me till I read the real figure right here on the CBSNews website.

"Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will give to charity the $23,000 in donations she has received from a Hong Kong-born fundraiser who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge."

There went your credibility, Xlib.

Right on. None of what George Bush has tried to do pleases me personally. The three things he did manage to accomplish, starting the wrong war, undermining the Supreme Court, and setting in place the primary groundwork for an American secret police, appall me. But what will last as the years pass is his dreadful incompetence of having so much and accomplishing so little.

After the election of 2004, Mr.Bush had more good cards in his hand than any president since Lyndon Johnson: his party in control of congress and it''s members'' discipline under the iron hand of political thugs like Tom DeLay, a clear, if close, popular vote victory, and a near complete autocracy of executive orders.

Johnson transformed America, Bush and his Merry Men dithered and frittered and blathered every advantage away. Ronald Regan, with far fewer advantages, at least halted Johnson''s transformation. In these days of lowered expectations, this passes for a "revolution". And even the contrast between the "Reagan Revolution", and the Bush Burp is utterly absurd.

[citizenusa-2009]

One cannot successfully commit grand scale illegal acts for an extended period of time without an infrastructure. Bush''s hand picked cronies are just that. Men (and women - Condi) who have larceny in their hearts and very little conscience. Rove, Rumsfeld and Scooter all ginned when they walked free. The won. We lost. We will continue to lose until this Administration is held accountable. Every one of them.

[ianlou]

We need to eradicate their memory and behavior as soon as possible, tomorrow will not be soon enough.
Posted by drinuk at 07:49 AM : Aug 30, 2007

I agree with all but the idea of eradicating their memory. I hope, instead, we analyze everything this administration has done long after they are out of Washington. If we forget we are doomed to repeat...

[fairandbal]

Once again we have an analysis of a conservative politician throwing in the excuse ''well, clinton did it too.'' I can''t stand it! All of you conservative media folks just keep protecting the GOP and will always blame Clinton for everything.
The last statement totally debunks the ''Clinton did it too'' claim. Clinton HAD broad public support, check his polling numbers. Clinton didn''t have support in the MSM corporate press for obvious reasons. The MSM media folks hounded his every move and supported the GOP coup attempt some call ''impeachment''.

[ianlou]

So, the clintons will remain relevent because they want back in. Any more questions?
Posted by Xlib at 08:15 AM : Aug 30, 2007

So you hate the Clinton''s, which Democrat do you think would be a better choice?

It''s OK if you say "none", that''s how I feel about any Republican at the moment.

[jn122736]

I find it laughable that so many Bush apologists continue to bring up some alleged act by Bill Clinton as an excuse for the uncountable Bush follies.
The laughable part is Bush%u2019s intended insult during the 2000 election campaign:~~~~~ %u201Cdon%u2019t compare me to Bill Clinton%u201D~~~~~.

I suspect he would love to be thought of by the people as being comparable to Bill Clinton now.
Clinton left office with a 63% approval rating.

However, Because of his position on issues like gun control, and lack of support for health care (Hillary%u2019s efforts notwithstanding), continued job outsourcing, and most especially the signing of NAFTA, my personal approval rating of Bill Clinton was not all that high

Clinton%u2019s support of sever gun control measures and his signing of NAFTA offended many moderate democrat and independent voters, effectively giving the republicans control of both houses of congress for the next 12 years.

As a matter of fact I have often said that Bill Clinton did more for the republicans than Bush Sr. did.

[clestes-2009]

The only real help that a new AG will do is tell Bush the truth. A war with Iran will be the final undoing of America. With gas prices at $5.00 a galleon and payment on all those IOU''s to China coming due, complete financial collapse is inevitable.

Ask him if he wants to go down in US history as the first US president tried for war crimes against humanity, which is what should happen if he starts another pre-emptive war.

[dbl06]

Should Hillary Clinton become President would she learn from Bill''s mistakes?

[flreason]

Xlib: Actually, there was an intire article re Hsu and a San Francisco family that may or may not be a front for additional donations to H Clinton''s campaign. I posted comments there. As noted in another post, Hillary gave Hsu''s money to charity. I expect she''ll do that same if these other donations turn out to be funded by Hsu.

I think it''s important to get the facts out there for all the candidates--but make sure they''re facts and not half-truths or partisan falsehoods.

[huskerarmy]

So, the clintons will remain relevent because they want back in. Any more questions?
Posted by Xlib
So you hate the Clinton''''s...
Posted by ianlou

ianlou, These silly little people have no more credibility. They are the defenders of Duke Cunningham, Rove, DeLay, Ney, Libby, Frist, Abramof, Noe, Safavian, Taft, Fletcher, Albaugh, Craig, Foley, Hastert, Oxley, Blunt, Burns, et al. There answer to the horde of corrupt GOPers? "Clinton did it!"

[ov442]

*** Meyer Makes sense

[ov442]

Ok, "Richard" Meyer... sheesh what a filter.

[whfrat240]

Republicans the laughing stock of the planet. perverts and pedophiles.


Your Moral fiber.....

[oscarez]

Bush and Cheney are going to ask: "$5.00 gas and war or no gas". Which do you think the people of the U.S. will choose.

[lostcountry1]

i didn''t even read the story.it''s very simple. the sooner that this administration is SIX FEET UNDER the safer this country will be.these guys are nothing but a gang of MURDERERS AND THEIVES, and their legacy will be that they were soo slick and soo corupt ,that it will be the envy of every polititian for years to come.i hope we can take away every thing that they care about. only then will justice be served.

[jwhitmann]

Whut this country needs is a commanist revolushun!! Baa, Baa, Baa

Everbudy knows their is no god !!! Baa, Baa, Baa

WE all know that it takes a villuge!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And Bush is the devil!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And everbudy else is intolerent,,, except us!!! Baa, Baa, Baa.

And we hate everbudy who disugrees with us, because we''re tolerent!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

LOL

.

[lostcountry1]

antillo, wake up and die right. this president is behind everything beginning with 9/11. the soldiers are doing what they have been ordered to do.fight the enemy. guess who they were told the enemy is.you must be trying to come to terms with why you voted for this loser president. go to church and talk to a priest, at least they will give you a chance to confess your sins. p.s. bin laden is in crawford texas, hanging with his homies at the bush ranch. the best place to hide something is right under everybodys nose.you''r either with him, or you''r against him!

[maccar555]

These cronies are not just casual acquaintences of Bush, Jr. Some of these cronies are old connections and friends of Bush, Sr. I don''t believe that it was an accidental meeting that brought about this cronism, but a carefully thought plan to develop commercial ties. All has been manipulated to line the pockets of all involved. Shamefully.

[citizenusa-2009]

You cannot compare Clinton (A Rhodes Scholar) who left this country in better economic and diplomatic shape than any President in recent history, to a religious nut with a whole lot of ego and a limited amount of intelligence. Clinton protected our country and our rights. Bush used and abused the power he was given to follow his (and his cronies) personal agenda(s). I really do hope this Administration is held accountable. If they are not "brought to justice", it will be the biggest travesty in the history of the U.S.

[klifton2-2009]

The Bush presidency either deliberately fail the country for its own economic benefit or because intrinsically the man is incompetent, clueless, and down right inept. The American public has to decide on one or the other about him and his cronies. Now, there are bad and crooked presidents in the past, but this one takes the cake! I can never understand why this man and his cohorts are not impeached for all the obvious harm and crimes they have perpetuated in the name of the American people and "democracy."

[gangesdak]

Biggest failure of the Democrats: not being able to impeach Bush. Bush lied in public, he squandered the wealth of the country, he was the cause of death of thousands of soldiers; most of them are young enough to be my son or daughter. for the last sixx years, Democrats have word-smithing in stead of taking action. Maybe, Hillary would be the President, but that would not absolve the Democrats.

[citizenusa-2009]

We need to urge John Kerry to run for office again. Everyone knows (especially those of us in Ohio)that his loss was a result of a rigged election. He remains adamant in his conviction to bring our troops home. Had ALL the votes been counted three years ago, this war would be HISTORY.

[BlueInWI]

When GW ran for President there were serious doubts (even within the Republican Party) whether GW had the intellectual capital and curiousity to be a good President.

Every business GW started was run into the ground. His only ''successful'' position was in an office created for him in the Texas Rangers by his Dad''s friend. He parlayed insider trades from his last company into an investment in the Texas Rangers and unfair land deals around the new stadium to make million$ that he can leave the twins (hopefully estate tax free). Maybe they can party with Paris Hilton and Cheney''s Haliburton trust-fund supported daughter and her domestic partner?

It was highly unusual for a man running for President with a Yale education and a Harvard MBA not to have any published letters, articles, etc. that showed his intellectual capability. Profs at Harvard remember him as being an arrogant, unprepared, and intellectually challenged student that squeaked through the MBA program.

All this was widely unreported by the corporate media, that preferred to attack Al Gore for high gas prices ($1.60), and the fact that he was prone to exaggerate - only problems were all the exaggerations were exaggerated by the ''liberal'' press. Actually, Vince Cerf gives Al Gore more credit for enabling the creation of the Internet than Gore himself is willing to take.

Media doesn''t seem at all concerned with Guiliani''s many HUGE exaggerations? Hmmm....

[tejasdemo]

It''s too late. The damage done by this incompetent group of morons is done.

[walt1944-2009]

For Emperor Bush to go down in history as the absolute worst president this country has had, all that would be needed would be for a sound military defeat in the Middle East. Even though the Iraq "insurrrgents" (be they Al Qeada, Taliban, Iranians, Martians, or whatever) have been doing a good job of that, a attack on Iran itself (as is already planned) by already weakened US forces, would result in a disaster of a defeat. The Iranians would use whatever they have, including "dirty bombs" and might already have nukes and would use them (like the Russians almost did during the Cuban Missile Crisis if JFK had invaded). However, the Emperor found history a "dry subject" in school, and therefore learned nothing from it, instead, concentrating on how best to blow up frogs!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[afsc30574]

The Bush aministration may be the "C" team, but CBS news, even sans Dan Rather, is still "F" troop.

[imprisonbush]

Like some other bloggers, I am baffled by the author''s attempt to equate the Shrub''s disastrous attempt to hijack the federal gov''t for the benefit of himself and his cronies with Clinton''s impressive governance. There is NO comparison. While Clinton certainly had his shortfalls, he will go down as one of the greats or near greats. Even many Republicans have woken up and concluded that Bush will go down in history as probably the worst U.S. President EVER. Of course, the Shrub is too stupid to understand this and will continue to practice the only thing he knows: i.e. deceit, loyal cronyism, incompetence and corruption. But he is one of few people who does not realize the destruction of his credibility and reputation.

[citizenusa-2009]

I applaud CBS for having the courage to "call it as they see it". Thank God we still have freedom of speech! Bush and Company have operated without checks and balances long enough. Keep up the good work CBS because if we ever lost the power of the media, we will have lost everything.

[liberalme]

jwhitmann--

Your an idiot--you posted this same garbage yesterday.

You can''t spell, you have nothing intelligent to say--go back to your crayons and coloring book.!

Lots of really good stuff being written, I totally agree, this idiot should never have been "given" the most important job in this country. He has destroyed the credibility of our great country,is responsible for the deaths of thousands and everything else that has been said here--also, is the king of hipocracy!
I have plants with higher IQ''s.

[citizenusa-2009]

bflong: Excellent and ACCURATE points. Too bad his record wasn''t revealed prior to either of the two elections. Perhaps the outcome would have been different..but then again, we knew a lot after his first disastrous four years, and elected him AGAIN. (I campaigned for Kerry and would do it again in a heartbeat). Unfortunately, none of this helps the families of the soldiers lost due to the presence of an illegal and immoral administration governed by thugs

[truthspeake2]

Actually, the people of this country have just what they deserve and none of this would have worked for the current administration except that they counted on the "Dumbing of America" which we will all ultimately pay for...for years to come!

[liberalme]

Yes we have been comfortable with the "status-quo" for decades.

Americans have questioned very little until now.

I don''t believe our representatives are aware of just how much information we now have through our own inquiries.

Many people have become more aware of what''s going on in Washington, who has voted for/against what and making this information part of their voting decisions next year.

The Democrats now seen to be in a state of lethargy and Republicans are busy distancing themselves from each other--we''re a train without an engine--and someone better wake up or the King in the Palace will pretend he''s the engine and God only knows where we''ll be.

[getit1776]

jwhitmann--

Your an idiot--you posted this same garbage yesterday.

You can''''t spell, you have nothing intelligent to say--go back to your crayons and coloring book.!

Lots of really good stuff being written, I totally agree, this idiot should never have been "given" the most important job in this country. He has destroyed the credibility of our great country,is responsible for the deaths of thousands and everything else that has been said here--also, is the king of hipocracy!
I have plants with higher IQ''''s.
Posted by liberalme at 01:59 PM : Aug 30, 2007

Using an exclamation point after a period: one demerit

Lacking a subject of a verb: one demerit

Using the possessive for the plural: one demerit

Using the wrong form of You''re in a sentence calling someone an idiot: priceless

[seven-pesos]

who is bush''s base?...those redneck, reborn, christian evangelist snakes.

where is bush''s base?... deep down in that dark, evil south.

what is bush''s base?... republican, christian, bible thumping, war making, flag waving, poor, superstitious and uneducated.

well, there you have it, folks!

nothing good comes out of the south.

[lawyertom1]

One has to admire the author''s foolish optimism.