MY BELATED ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT: Just in case he's reading this blog (and why shouldn't he be?).
When President Bush appointed Tom Ridge as Director of Homeland Security, I was under the mistaken impression that Ridge would use his special connection to the President to recommend and help implement sweeping changes to the government bureaucracies and organization. In the cruelly accurate words of Josh Marshall, Ridge has "been reduced to something between administration roadkill and the bloody chum that saltwater fisherman put into the water to get the big fish biting." I modestly submit that it's time to consider an idea that occurred to me right after September 11.
Have the President appoint a bipartisan commission, with a very short time-frame (no more than 3 months), to recommend a sweeping reorganization of the federal government to deal with the War on Terrorism, which would be presented to Congress in a package for a vote. (If Congress authorizes this commission, then they can also mandate restricted debate or amendment power regarding the commission's recommendations - similar to military base closings. I'm optimistic that if this project is undertaken with the requisite seriousness, it won't be necessary to have any such restrictions.)
Who would lead this commission? I think the ideal candidate would be someone who:
1) Possesses a vast knowledge of the federal government's minutia;
2) Is a Democrat - the more noteworthy the better, so as to enhance the bipartisan credibility of the enterprise;
3) Doesn't have too many strong allies, counterproductive as that may seem (if he or she is a bit of an outsider within Congress and the bureaucracies, the risk of capture is lessened); and
4) Doesn't have anything better to do right now.
Who meets those criteria? I submit...Al "Reinventing Government" Gore. It would be perfect politics and great for the country. Why not put his wonkiness to good use?
Other members of this commission could be:
Tom Ridge - as a consolation prize; he can give a steak's-eye view of the hunters in the various bureaucracies to be reorganized.
Justice Stephen Breyer - his regulatory expertise would be useful.
Dr. Richard Carmona - the unconventional Surgeon General nominee.
Professor Lawrence Gostin, a law professor at Georgetown who has drafted a model public health statute for all 50 states.
James Kallstrom, former top counter-terrorism investigator of the FBI and now director of NY State Public Security.
Experts (preferably sensible ones) on immigration, customs and transportation are also needed - not to mention the CIA. If anyone has any other nominees, please e-mail them to me and I will post the best choices.
This commission should have been appointed immediately after 9/11. Unfortunately, the Administration will probably get another chance.