Fisher continues:
"Bonicelli and PHC have close ties to the Bush Administration and toprivate right-wing religious groups who form such an important part ofBush?s base. PHC students have been chosen to serve as interns for KarlRove and for the White House Office of Public Liaison, and students andfaculty are frequently invited to White House and inaugural events. In2002, Bush named Bonicelli along with former Vatican advisor John Klinkand Janice Crouse of the ultra-conservative Concerned Women forAmerica, to a U.N. delegation to promote biblical values in U.S.foreign policy ? and sparked an outcry of protest from women?s rightsadvocates.
"One has to wonder how Muslims will react to the news that "all who dieoutside of Christ shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity."
"Then there?s Ellen Sauerbrey, nominated to head the U.S. StateDepartment?s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. The missionof the Bureau is to coordinate U.S. response to migration problemsarising from war and natural disasters, and to work with internationalgroups on population and reproductive-health issues. The Bureau has abudget of more than $700 million.
"Sauerbrey’s qualifications? Well, she ran Bush’s 2000 presidentialcampaign in Maryland, and twice ran for governor of that state. And sheserved as U.S. envoy on women’s issues at the United Nations, whichmeans advocating for Bush-administration positions on abortion,abstinence, and reproductive health. Those policies have been widelycriticized for frustrating family planning and failing to providereproductive health services to refugee women.
"When asked about her qualifications, Sauerbrey told the Senate ForeignRelations Committee that she has a big heart: "I think most importantyou need to have the compassion and caring for helping to protectvulnerable people."
"No doubt. But a little experience in refugee affairs wouldn?t hurt either.
"Finally, there?s Julie Myers, nominated to head U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement, or ICE, the largest investigative arm of theDepartment of Homeland Security and the second largest Federalinvestigative agency after the FBI. ICE?s mission is to deal with allCustoms and Immigration violations occurring within the U.S., includingdrug shipments over a U.S. border and the detention and deportation ofall illegal aliens involved in removal proceedings. ICE runs thelargest and most secretive prison system in the U.S. and accounts forclose to 80% of all arrests made within the FBI?s joint terrorism taskforce. It prosecutes more individuals than any other Federal agency.
"Her resume? She was a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, N.Y., for twoyears, and for the past four years held a variety of jobs at the WhiteHouse and at the departments of Commerce, Justice and Treasury. At theWhite House, she was a special assistant to the president for personnelissues. No doubt also helpful was her service as chief of staff toMichael Chertoff when he led the Justice Department’s criminal divisionbefore he became a Federal judge and later Secretary of HomelandSecurity. Equally helpful was her work with independent counsel KennethW. Starr. Perhaps even more helpful: She is the niece of now retiredAir Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs ofStaff.
"ICE is a massive bureaucracy with tens of thousands of employees and anannual budget of close to $15 billion. It has been widely criticized asdysfunctional. So one might have expected a nominee with extensiveexperience in management, not to mention immigration issues.
"Matthew Issman, national legislative vice president of the Federal LawEnforcement Officers Association, characterized the Myers appointmentmost succinctly: She "just doesn’t pass the smell test and is anotherindication that this administration created the Department of HomelandSecurity as window dressing and does not care whether ICE issuccessful?, he said, adding, "What we need is a strong,law-enforcement leader, not another inexperienced, well-connectedlawyer with friends in the White House."
"Washington is a town where the best and the brightest co-exist withwell-connected political hacks. It defies credulity that the BushAdministration continues to shoot itself in the foot by stubbornlychoosing the latter, and thereby setting itself up for another?Brownie?."
If you believe government is inept anyway, why not simply nominate inept people who keep their lips on your ass?
Allow me to set the record straight. First of all, the New Republic got our motto wrong. Patrick Henry College’s motto is “For Christ and Liberty” not “For Christ and Liberation.” I certainly see a crucial difference between the two. Second, Bonicelli know how to be diplomatic. He certainly will not use his public office to offend Muslims during his meetings with them. As for his qualifications, consider the following:Paul J. Bonicelli, Adjunct Associate Professor of Government, Patrick Henry College; Ph.D. in PoliticalScience, University of Tennessee; Professional Staff, U.S. House ofRepresentatives, International Relations Committee, 1997-1999; AssistantProfessor of Political Science, Grove City College, 1993-1997At PHC Bonicelli taught Comparative Politics and Foreign Policy. Here are the desriptions of these courses.GOV330 Comparative Politics (3)A region-by-region study of contemporary political systems with special focus onhistory, geography, and culture and the kinds of political systems these variables produce. There is particular emphasis on various nation-states. Students will gain considerable knowledge of each system for the purpose of attempting to answer the fundamental question of the course: ?Why does a particular country have the type of governmentit has??GOV341 Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice (3)A theoretical as well as practical course based on the study of political philosophy, modern theory, and historical and contemporary case studies, to provide students with an understanding of international relations (international security as well as international political economy) and the impact of international politics on the sovereignty of nation-states. The principles, ideas, and practicalities that have influenced foreign policy makers are examined, with special attention paid to US foreign policy.Please recognize that being Dean of Academic Affairs at PHC is not Bonicelli’s only qualification!