Rebuilding Morale in DC

At the Washington Monthly, John Donahue and Max Stier argue that some of government’s most intractable problems remain so because they’re in the hands of the worst-run agencies. Fixing them will take high-level commitment:
In many European and Asian countries the high status of public service helps offset modest financial rewards. But in the U.S., decades [...]

Two Presidents

With Bush being the lamest of lame ducks, WaPo columnist Eugene Robinson is getting concerned:
Bush could and should do it — he is still president, and preventing economic collapse is part of the job description. But he won’t. It’s ironic that after being so aggressive and proactive in other areas, the Decider is so indecisive [...]

Set The Direction

Zbigniew Brzezinski, who’d know a thing or two about dysfunctional national-security teams, is arguing quite strongly that Obama needs to be vocal about setting the direction:
[He is]  making what is, I think, an important point — if Barack Obama wants, as it seems he does, to appoint a national security “team of rivals” then he [...]

How To Deal With Iran

Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has a few pointers on handling the Iranians, among them:
Washington should refrain from making any grand overtures to Tehran that could redeem Ahmadinejad’s leadership and increase his popularity ahead of the country’s June 2009 presidential elections. Since assuming office in August 2005, Ahmadinejad has used his [...]

Gates Stays

It’s all but official now that Robert Gates will be staying on as secretary of defense after Obama takes office.:
[Senior adviser David] Axelrod said Obama enjoys and invites strong opinions and there will be no “potted plants” in his Cabinet. 
Gates has been negotiating with Obama emissaries over his deputies — some will be retained, and some [...]

Torture Truth Commission

Obama seems inclined to investigate the torture allegations but not to prosecute, says Newsweek:
Obama aides are wary of taking any steps that would smack of political retribution. That’s one reason they are reluctant to see high-profile investigations by the Democratic-controlled Congress or to greenlight a broad Justice inquiry (absent specific new evidence of wrongdoing). “If [...]

Cabinet Reaction

Tom Barnett likes what he sees so far of Obama’s appointments:
Obama is trying to satisfy in a lot of different directions, and I think it’s a good mix to date. They reflect a true CEO mindset that wants very strong subordinates, and I like a cabinet for America right now that reflects too much agenda [...]

Mother of All Traffic Jams

I have friends going to Washington for Obama’s inauguration, but I’m content to watch it on TV, thank you very much. Even the DC Metro system is expecting madhouse-level crowds:
“It will be sardine crush-load on the way in and sardine crush-load on the way out,” agency spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.
The image, by the way, is of the [...]

Patience

Obama intends to wait until 2009 before asking for repeal of the don’t-ask-don’t-tell. Sullivan disagrees:
I understand the need not to repeat Clinton’s errors, especially at the very beginning of an administration. Delaying and consulting is fine. But the way in which gay servicemembers, risking their lives for their country as we speak, are still regarded [...]

Al-Qaeda PR Department

Our old friend Ayman Zawahiri certainly showed himself fit for a KKK grand dragon’s robe with his offensive, race-based characterization of the president-elect. But I’m afraid commentators like Evan Kohlmann who are predicting blowback are a tad optimistic. Zawahiri is an Arab nationalist who cares little for how his words play outside of the Arab world. [...]