George Bush Gets Something...Right?

From The New York Times (via Abu Aardvark), I see that Bush is going after yet another Democrat:

[T]he White House was trying to remove a major figure from the board that oversees American international broadcasting efforts, particularly the Arabic and Persian language radio and television networks aimed at countering the anti-American programming on Al Jazeera and other networks.

The board member is Norman J. Pattiz, a Los Angeles radio executive and Democratic contributor who was first appointed to the board by President Bill Clinton in 2000. His name was sent for reappointment by the Democratic leadership more than a year ago, but the White House has not forwarded it for approval. Mr. Pattiz has directed the start-up of the American networks in the Middle East, principally the television network Al Hurra and Radio Sawa.
"Norm Pattiz has been the driving force behind our most successful public diplomacy undertakings since 9/11," Mr. Biden said in a statement. "Radio Sawa and Al Hurra TV are attracting significant audiences in the Middle East."

Mr. Biden said the administration, which has taken credit for the two networks, was being "short-sighted and doing the country a disservice" by refusing to reappoint Mr. Pattiz to the board.

...Democrats charge that the White House is uneasy about an active Democrat running such a delicate area. Only last week, he had a fund-raising dinner in his Beverly Hills home featuring Senators Harry Reid of Nevada, the minority leader, and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
"When I called the White House and asked why my name wasn't sent forward, they said that it was under review," Mr. Pattiz said. "It was under review because my name had appeared in a Kerry campaign ad last year. That's the explanation I got."

The Bush administration is certainly no stranger to placing ideological and political concerns over grave issues of national security:

When the U.S. government went looking for people to help rebuild Iraq, they had responded to the call. They supported the war effort and President Bush. Many had strong Republican credentials. They were in their twenties or early thirties and had no foreign service experience. On that first day, Oct. 1, they knew so little about how things worked that they waited hours at the airport for a ride that was never coming. They finally discovered the shuttle bus out of the airport but got off at the wrong stop.

...They had been hired to perform a low-level task: collecting and organizing statistics, surveys and wish lists from the Iraqi ministries for a report that would be presented to potential donors at the end of the month. But as suicide bombs and rocket attacks became almost daily occurrences, more and more senior staffers defected. In short order, six of the new young hires found themselves managing the country's $13 billion budget, making decisions affecting millions of Iraqis...For months they wondered what they had in common, how their names had come to the attention of the Pentagon, until one day they figured it out: They had all posted their resumes at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative-leaning think tank.

So, it would not surprise me in the absolute least if the Bush administration were placing ideological concerns over defending America. Can't have Democrats in high places, even if they're the best qualified for the job and know what they're doing, unlike their Republican replacements!
Except here's one time when it might not be partisan. As the Aardvark said:

Joe Biden is correct that Norm Pattiz is the driving force behind Radio Sawa and al-Hurra, but that's the problem with him, not a reason to defend him. Al-Hurra, in my opinion, has been a terrible failure, a white elephant which has sucked up resources while having no discernible impact on Arab public opinion. I was quite happy when I heard the rumor a few months ago that Pattiz was on his way out. But I want him out because people recognize al-Hurra's failings and are ready to change course, not because he's a Democrat.

According to The Century Foundation, Al-Hurra is watched by only about 29 percent of adult television viewers, and only about half of its viewers rate its news coverage as reliable - so we're having success with only around 15 percent or so of the target audience. Radio Sawa is only a little better, garnering positive noise from under 30 percent of listeners. Not so good. Generally, our existing strategic communications efforts suck, to put it mildly. If Pattiz is the one in charge, I don't care if he's a Democrat: I won't weep if he gets replaced.