Comments on: The Obama Clinton Saga Continues http://commentsfromleftfield.com/2008/11/the-obama-clinton-saga-continues Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:39:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Kyle E. Moore http://commentsfromleftfield.com/2008/11/the-obama-clinton-saga-continues/comment-page-1#comment-46795 Kyle E. Moore Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:55:33 +0000 http://commentsfromleftfield.com/?p=6578#comment-46795 You know, your second paragraph really hit something with me. I can't remember when I had the thought... No... I remember now. It was during the Democratic primaries, and it was one of the many Hillary Clinton running themes. For a brief period of time, her major self sell was "I've been vetted." No... actually that wasn't it. It was earlier. I can't remember when. But it was this terrible idea that the standard for public service was to as you say not have any skeletons in one's closet. What a terribly low standard. You know, your second paragraph really hit something with me. I can’t remember when I had the thought… No… I remember now. It was during the Democratic primaries, and it was one of the many Hillary Clinton running themes. For a brief period of time, her major self sell was “I’ve been vetted.”

No… actually that wasn’t it. It was earlier. I can’t remember when. But it was this terrible idea that the standard for public service was to as you say not have any skeletons in one’s closet. What a terribly low standard.

]]> By: DrGail http://commentsfromleftfield.com/2008/11/the-obama-clinton-saga-continues/comment-page-1#comment-46785 DrGail Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:21:20 +0000 http://commentsfromleftfield.com/?p=6578#comment-46785 This one strikes close to the heart for me, Kyle. I make my living assuring the suitability of people for corporate jobs. Unless there is a great deal more going on behind the scenes than we realize, the process whereby people are placed in various government appointments is haphazard, at best. Your qualifications and suitability for your job were more thoroughly investigated than appointees. On the other hand, no one is subject to kind of personal and financial scrutiny that is normal for appointees. It's almost as though a lack of skeletons in the closet is enough of a qualification for those positions. What a terrible way to run a railroad. I'm certainly no historian, but it seems to me that Bill Clinton did a pretty good job of finding qualified people for senior positions (e.g., James Lee Witt did wonders with FEMA), although several didn't make it through the vetting process and went down in highly visible flames. I'm thinking here of Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, both candidates for Attorney General. This one strikes close to the heart for me, Kyle. I make my living assuring the suitability of people for corporate jobs. Unless there is a great deal more going on behind the scenes than we realize, the process whereby people are placed in various government appointments is haphazard, at best. Your qualifications and suitability for your job were more thoroughly investigated than appointees.

On the other hand, no one is subject to kind of personal and financial scrutiny that is normal for appointees. It’s almost as though a lack of skeletons in the closet is enough of a qualification for those positions. What a terrible way to run a railroad.

I’m certainly no historian, but it seems to me that Bill Clinton did a pretty good job of finding qualified people for senior positions (e.g., James Lee Witt did wonders with FEMA), although several didn’t make it through the vetting process and went down in highly visible flames. I’m thinking here of Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, both candidates for Attorney General.

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