CompuServe Thread

Obviously you don't spend a lot of time as close to Washington as I do (I was born 40 miles east of it). Congress is totally exempt from the anti-nepotism laws (and even the Civil Rights Act). Spouses, kids, and brother in laws run offices, handle all sorts of business, and even sit in on hearings. One can argue that Clinton has appointed a politically savvy operator he trusts. Since 90% of all elected and cabinet officials are lawyers, anyone other than a lawyer heading any such group would be a Washington abberation. Dennis Thatcher is not an equivalent. He was not REQUIRED to give up his profession as the law requires the spouse of a President to do (it's in the conflicts of interest acts–can you imagine the billions of bucks lobbies would throw to Hillary if she still was with a firm?) and Congress in its anti-Bobby Kennedy pettiness made it illegal to appoint a wife or sibling or other close relative to any job in the Executive (but not Legislative) branch. I would agree that others are equally well suited to this job, but why go to them if you have one locally who doesn't even require confirmation? Besides, health care reform is the one thing that will, in the end, mark Clinton's first term and if he blows it he can forget the rest let alone a second term. If he's going to put his career in anybody's hands, he's going to put it in the hands of somebody who can't just say "Oops!"