Letter from Washington

Morris Udall has been complaining loudly about rumors of departmental reorganizations in the bureaucracy, designed to disguise the existence of certain political jobs held by Republicans. And Udall has a point, although, from a Republican point of view, it’s too little, too late. Democrats have traditionally protected their own here, the drill being for political appointees to take a cut in pay and revert to career Civil Service status just before the Administration goes out. As a result the bureaucracy is heavily layered with careerists who were political appointees in previous Administrations. Thus, to a great extent, the career Civil Service, although founded to accomplish just the opposite, has managed to institutionalize the spoils system and protect the beneficiaries of the pork barrel by providing them with what amounts to tenure. But because of Watergate fallout, and because the Civil Service Commission is heavily stacked with Democrats, Republicans applying for career status find their applications are not being processed. According to law, career Civil Service positions go to those with the most appropriate qualifications, regardless of political affiliation. In practice, however, slots this year will be filled by Democrats only.

One high-level HEW information officer, appointed to his post by Richard Nixon, reports that JFK, LBJ, HST, and FDR pictures, stored away since 1968, have begun to replace the Gerald Ford-Nelson Rockefeller pictures which not too long ago replaced the Richard Nixon-Spiro Agnew pictures hanging in departmental offices around town. And one White House staffer swears he saw a signed picture of Jackie Kennedy Onassis hanging in a basement office in the Old Executive Office Building, where Gerald Ford’s White House staff is currently headquartered.

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Morris Udall has been complaining loudly about rumors of departmental reorganizations in the bureaucracy, designed to disguise the existence of certain political jobs held by Republicans. And Udall has a point, although, from a Republican point of view, it’s too little, too late. Democrats have traditionally protected their own here, the drill being for political appointees to take a cut in pay and revert to career Civil Service status just before the Administration goes out. As a result the bureaucracy is heavily layered with careerists who were political appointees in previous Administrations. Thus, to a great extent, the career Civil Service, although founded to accomplish just the opposite, has managed to institutionalize the spoils system and protect the beneficiaries of the pork barrel by providing them with what amounts to tenure. But because of Watergate fallout, and because the Civil Service Commission is heavily stacked with Democrats, Republicans applying for career status find their applications are not being processed. According to law, career Civil Service positions go to those with the most appropriate qualifications, regardless of political affiliation. In practice, however, slots this year will be filled by Democrats only.

One high-level HEW information officer, appointed to his post by Richard Nixon, reports that JFK, LBJ, HST, and FDR pictures, stored away since 1968, have begun to replace the Gerald Ford-Nelson Rockefeller pictures which not too long ago replaced the Richard Nixon-Spiro Agnew pictures hanging in departmental offices around town. And one White House staffer swears he saw a signed picture of Jackie Kennedy Onassis hanging in a basement office in the Old Executive Office Building, where Gerald Ford’s White House staff is currently headquartered.