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QADDAFI'S MIND
The Libyan Leader's Book List
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DANGEROUS GAMES
Did Russia Try to Sink the U.S. Economy?
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11th COMMANDMENT
Controversial Doesn't Always Mean Right
Yeah, I don't think I'm cut out for the Obama administration
Posted By Daniel W. Drezner
Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 5:11 AM
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A seven-page questionnaire being sent by the office of President-elect Barack Obama to those seeking cabinet and other high-ranking posts may be the most extensive — some say invasive — application ever. The questionnaire includes 63 requests for personal and professional records, some covering applicants’ spouses and grown children as well, that are forcing job-seekers to rummage from basements to attics, in shoe boxes, diaries and computer archives to document both their achievements and missteps.Here's a link to the actual questionnaire. I think Question 10 would do me in:
Writings: Please list and, if readily available, provide a copy of each book, article, column, or publication (including but not limited to any posts or comments on blogs or other websites) you have authored, individually or with others. Please list all aliases or "handles" you have used to communicate on the Internet.This rules me out -- but I really pity the poor RA at Harvard tasked to answer this question for Cass Sunstein.
including but not limited to any posts or comments on blogs or other websites
How about sending the complete edition of DWD blog file?
provide a copy of each book, article, column, or publication
The trees are going to take a hit. On the other side, if people with a record like Sunstein's apply it may help prevent (ease?) the recession. The publishing industry at least ought to be happy with Obama's questionnaire.
Dear Dan,
As a foreigner, this questionnaire seems absurd to me. It's such an infringement on privacy. But even disregarding that issue, who would even be able to answer all questions truthfully? And who would want to?
What do you think will this questionnaire's impact on the selection process be? For some reason it reminds me of the way the previous administration selected the people to send to Iraq with Bremer (see Chandresekan's book "Imperial life in the emerald city"), only now "clean record" replaces "total loyalty to the Republican Party & the Bushites".
As I mentioned over at Steve Benen's place, this isn't all that much worse than getting a TS clearance. In fact, probably the main difference is that when getting a clearance, you just fill out the paperwork to allow a federal investigator go through your personal background. And finding anything bad won't automatically pre-empt employment. I had some minor infractions and even an arrest as young adult, and was still able to get a clearance.
"Please list all aliases or ”handles” you have used to communicate on the Internet."
Yeah. Good luck enforcing that one.
The easiest thing would be to offer some surface compliance while largely ignoring the request. Does anybody else think that Obama would have his verification team spend countless hours trying to find out all of Candidate X's possible blog coments under the alias of "happyguy"?
“Please list all aliases or ”handles” you have used to communicate on the Internet.”
They honestly expect people to remember every handle they've ever used?
There I was thinking Obama and Co are net savvy. Well, they are, I guess: "including but not limited to any posts or comments on blogs or other websites" is essentially a recursive snowstorm - for some (ahem) it sets an impossible compliance threshold. Translate: persons of a certain digital disposition need not apply. Right? Confusing.
Daniel W. Drezner is professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
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