In quick hits danthrax pointed to a Heritage Foundation "Backgrounder" from January, 2001, "Personnel Is Policy: Why The New President Must Take Control Of The Executive Branch". By now, I figure that anyone still arguing that personnel appointments don't matter is beyond reason. The real questions are how they matter, how much different appointments matter for different purposes, etc. But it's also true that there's a valid self-reflexive question: how much do our questions miss the mark entirely. And that's where the always helpful cautionary sci-fi alternate universe schtick comes in mighty handy.
Well, I don't actuallty have an alternative universe handy. No transporter, so I can't mock up a transporter accident. My copy of the I Ching is deeply buried, so the whole Man In The High Castle thing won't work. Guess that's why I'm clicking on links to the Heritage Foundation, eight long years ago. But lo! It does seem to be working...
President-elect George W. Bush laid out a dream and a remarkably detailed policy agenda during his election campaign, with proposals ranging from substantial reform of Social Security and Medicare to ambitious changes in federal education policy and ways to reduce the historically high tax burden on the American people.
Yes-alternative-universe-indeedy!
Now let's see what he says about all that policy/personnel stuff!
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