Reply #8: Don't count on too much change

[PATRICK]

Only those who leave voluntarily and insist are likely to go. I wouldn't even be surprised to see Powell still there though now that they don't need to fear his interference in rivaling a second term they might pave the way for him.

Nixon said he should have changed a lot more of his staff. The second term has different objectives and everyone tends to go stale. HE did not do that. Bush is incapable of learning from history, is fearfully loyal to his cronies, could barely fill his own staff in the first place. The clique of power cannot ever change for Bush or he would be adrift, his whole presidency vaporized. Outside of them he might appoint nearly anyone capable of ruining various departments.

After all is he going to appoint the other side of his father's cronies, the ones who would have counseled against war and are not nutty neocons? His brother? This man of limited acumen has even more limited choices from a shrinking and insufficient pool of trust and competence.

The whole idea evokes a scornful laugh. Props, figureheads and the same old trusted hitmen.

These sorts of media gems are quadrennial, pompous, in this case utterly at variance with reality. These puff pieces are meant to lend a false hope for new vigor in a failed and doomed presidency that never should have been.