Bush appointee "burrows in" at the Interior Department

[unhappycamper]

Bush appointee "burrows in" at the Interior Department
By Alicia Mundy
Seattle Times Washington bureau

~snip~

"Burrowing in" is slang for what happens in D.C. toward the end of a presidential administration when political appointees destined for the dust bin become full-fledged career government officials. Once embedded and untouchable, they are like moles in one of John le Carré's spy novels, left behind to quietly stand guard over the outgoing administration's turf.

~snip~

On July 23, Matthew McKeown, a political appointee under the Bush White House, began a new job as a high-ranking civil-service employee at the Department of the Interior.

A Department of the Interior spokesman said in a statement that McKeown was "exceptionally well qualified" for his new job.

~snip~

McKeown was part of the group surrounding two controversial Interior officials, former Solicitor William Myers and former Deputy Secretary Steven Griles.

Myers came under fire in 2003 for urging two congressmen to introduce a bill to give $1 million in public land north of Sacramento to a private company.

~snip~

McKeown, who knew Griles, worked for Griles' girlfriend, a lead lawyer in the solicitor's office. Griles became part of the scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2006. He pleaded guilty to lying to Congress this year and was sentenced to 10 months in prison.


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[izzie]

1. This is how the world works. It will rake years to get the GOP

zealots out of trying to run the govt. It is one reason having the WH is so important and a Congress that will do its job. Their is so much money in our govt. it is hard not to get these people out once they get a foot in.

[Ezlivin]

2. Maybe we'll have another Anthrax Attack to clear out these fuckers

Not that I'm suggesting anything....

[izzie]

3. Usually an agency would try to put in people who can run it.

George boy works on some other way that any one in their right mind can not figure out. He could not run any thing so why would people think he could set up people who could? He never did do it.

[Skidmore]

4. Maybe Dems can get someone in to help him unburrow.