Stupid comment of the day
Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and Bush administration cabinet member, announced today that he would pursue the 2008 GOP nomination for president.
In an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Thompson made one comment that stood out to me, and which was noted in an AP article:
Isn't that what got us into this mess (among others) in the first place? Appointments that emphasize cronyism at least as much as competence?
Thanks, Mr. Thompson. You've told me all I need to know about you.
In an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Thompson made one comment that stood out to me, and which was noted in an AP article:
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has made ''terrible mistakes'' in the handling of the fired federal prosecutors. ''I would not have appointed Mr. Gonzales. I would have appointed somebody that was loyal to me,'' Thompson said.He would have hired someone who was loyal to him.
Isn't that what got us into this mess (among others) in the first place? Appointments that emphasize cronyism at least as much as competence?
Thanks, Mr. Thompson. You've told me all I need to know about you.
Labels: Tommy Thompson
posted by Ken @ 4:22 PM
2 Comments:
At 4/01/2007 8:19 PM,
T. D. said…
It was a dumb statement in the context of this situation.
But, remember that JFK picked someone for his AG who no one else in the country would have thought of for that position. It was precisely because of Bobby's total loyalty to Jack. Of course, Bobby had the President, a Democratic majority and the press behind him. He also was very competent politically. So, the professional competence issue wasn't a big deal.
Loyalty in the highest positions is absolutely essential.
Competence without loyalty is worthless. Professional competence without political competence is also pretty worthless. Unfortunately, that's what we seem to have here--with Gonzales, his staff, some conservative pundits, and some Republican congressional leaders.
Too bad.
At 4/02/2007 8:01 AM,
Ken said…
I fully expect the president to nominate people who are loyal to him (or her). That's not the point. Tommy Thompson had the opportunity to discuss the AG and say what he would do differently, and his answer seemed to suggest that Gonzales' problems stem from disloyalty to the president. Gonzales is clearly loyal to the president, but it's not Gonzales' loyalty that is the problem -- it's his performance on the job.
Thompson seems to be looking through typical Beltway glasses at a political situation that demands a broader focus. The president needs loyalty, but he also needs competence, and Thompson appears not to understand that.
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