Monday, September 18, 2006
Wanna Help Rebuild Iraq? Non-Republicans Need Not Apply...Did you know that in this nation's infancy, Irish immigrants were looked down upon, and often denied opportunites for jobs, services, and the like?
Signs like the one to your right were fairly common.
Now, in 2006, it seems that the practice is still alive, even if the criteria has changed.
After the fall of Saddam Hussein's government in April 2003, the opportunity to participate in the U.S.-led effort to reconstruct Iraq attracted all manner of Americans -- restless professionals, Arabic-speaking academics, development specialists and war-zone adventurers. But before they could go to Baghdad, they had to get past Jim O'Beirne's office in the Pentagon.In light of how poorly things are going over there, it's not surprising to learn that only tried-and-true Republicans are running the show.
To pass muster with O'Beirne, a political appointee who screens prospective political appointees for Defense Department posts, applicants didn't need to be experts in the Middle East or in post-conflict reconstruction. What seemed most important was loyalty to the Bush administration.
O'Beirne's staff posed blunt questions to some candidates about domestic politics: Did you vote for George W. Bush in 2000? Do you support the way the president is fighting the war on terror? Two people who sought jobs with the U.S. occupation authority said they were even asked their views on Roe v. Wade.
P.S. Mr. O'Beirne's wife, Kate, was born into an Irish Catholic family and is now a conservative commentator.
You just can't make this stuff up...
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