If the Dems win big next year, do we get a full-scale purge of the federal government?

[Cyrano]

Seven years of Bush/Cheney appointments have made government oversight obsolete. Agency heads and many of their deputies formerly worked for the industries they supposedly regulate. There is zero government monitoring of the safety of anything we eat, drink, breath, drive, fly, buy for kids, medicate ourselves with, or depend upon for our well being – including our financial health.

And it’s not just agency heads. Young fundy grads from places like Pat Robertson’s Liberty U. are in critical positions in many federal departments.

And let’s not forget the countless judges and prosecutors who have been appointed by Bush over the last seven years. In too many instances, “justice” is being administered by the American Taliban.

So if we end up with the White House and stronger control of congress, what’s to be done about the intentional poisoning of our government? Bush has left us quite a mess that was easier to create than to clean up.

I guess my question is, what would we expect from the Dems? Mass firings? Impeachments of federal judges? A full-scale purge of wingnuts from the halls of government? It’s possible that all of this might seem a bit radical to “middle America.”

I’d like to hear your thoughts on the problem.

On edit: I forgot to mention how the corporate MSM would view a thorough "house cleaning." It's possible the term "Stalinist purge" would become fashionable.

[ixion]

1. I doubt it, although it would be refreshing to see

if history serves as any benchmark, it will only get worse.

It is much easier to introduce something into a bureaucracy than it is to remove it.

[Tesha]

2. Why would we?

Clinton kept on Bush I holdover appointments and look
how great that turned out! (Louie Freeh, right?)

Tesha

[Virginia Dare]

4. and Linda Tripp...n/t

[Virginia Dare]

3. If we get the White House, I hope we don't make the same mistake..

that the Clintons made by keeping lots of holdover Bush appointees. Does the name Linda Tripp ring a bell?

I say give anybody that Bush ever appointed in the executive branch their pink slips and tell them to have their desks cleaned out and be off the premises permanently by midnight January 20th. The civil servants can run things just fine for a while.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Changes in the Civil Service ranks will be slow, mostly through replacement

of retirees & resignations. Political appointments will be a lot mre fluid & subject to change. That's just the way the system works, & IMHO it's not a bad way.

[MrCoffee]

6. general practice is for political appointees to ceremoneously resign

is "ceremoneously" a word? anyway, generally the political appointees will hand in a resignation at the end of the term of the person who appointed them. the resignation will be accepted or rejected as the recipient sees fit.

it's a professional courtesy to avoid "firing" a political appointee.

[MiniMe]

7. Agency heads and department heads are political appointments

So yes, they would be expected to change with any new President. US Attorneys will change too. Judges are usually appointed for life, so it won't affect those, but the new President will get to appoint all of the unfilled positions.

[demnan]

8. Of course

and the Federal Prosecutors would go too.