You may regard all of Bush's appointments as qualified in the sense that none of them has done anything stupid or criminal in the past. And they will all be given the benefit of the doubt by Congress anyway, just as Renquist was, for example, even though he is shadowed by allegations that he actively intimidated minority voters from voting in Arizona in 1964, or as Powell will be even though he turned a blind eye to information implicating a massacre at My Lai, and just as Janet Reno was in 1993. She was surely qualified in the same sense as you refer to Bush's appointees.
What they do in office is another story. Ashcroft's version of integrity could very well bring a storm of controvery to Justice and become a thorn in Bush's side if he wants re-election. It will also be interesting to see, for example, just how far Ann Venemim(Agriculture) will be willing to go to help companies like Monsanto implement the latest insidious form of economic colonialism in the Third World, particularly in an administration in which the President himself has virtually ZERO understanding of how people outside this country actually live.
Mel Martinez is another story. He's only been in elected office two years....as a COUNTY executive. He talks a good game but definitely doesn't even have a strong following among Hispanics except Cubans. The majority of Hispanics in Orange county(Orlando) are Peurto Rican Democrats. His nomination to the Cabinet didn't even rate a front page story in the local Hispanic newspaper. He has no statewide, let alone national qualifications. He, IMO,is not qualified to jump to head a federal agency. All he is, really, is a friend of Jeb's. |
