Chimpy needs more sycophants

There's a scary executive order that is flying under the radar (h/t to the lovely and talented Watertiger of Dependable Renegade), since it was signed on January 18 but only hit the papers today:

President Bush has signed an executive order giving the White House more say over how federal departments and agencies carry out laws approved by Congress.

Under the order, each department and agency must put a presidential appointee in charge of the rules and the guidance that it plans to issue. Also, under the order, agencies must now satisfy a higher standard of justification before taking any new regulatory action.

The order gives the White House budget office more power over guidance documents, which don't have the weight of federal regulations but which still heavily influence how companies, schools and other agencies comply with laws.

Yep, that's new political overseers in every federal agency and department, with seemingly plenary control over budget allocations (and therefore the entire operation of each entity). Sounds like brother Jeb!'s idea when he packed Florida higher education with political appointees ... thereby destroying the integrity of our college and university system.

But, hey, all in a day's work for a Bush.