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Myers's qualifications? She was a former chief of staff to Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff (when he ran the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice), is married to Chertoff's chief of staff, and is the niece of the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard B. Myers.
And let's not forget Dr. W. David Hager to head up the Food and Drug Administration's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. This committee makes crucial decisions on matters relating to drugs used in the practice of obstetrics, gynecology, and related specialties, including hormone therapy, contraception, treatment for infertility, and medical alternatives to surgical procedures for sterilization and pregnancy termination.
Dr. Hager's views on reproductive health care make him uniquely qualified for this job. He is a practicing OB/GYN who describes himself as "pro-life" and refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women. He is the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women Then and Now." The book combines Biblical accounts of how Christ healed women with case studies from Hager's own practice.
Not to overlook the naming of Patricia S. Harrison as president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Ms. Harrison was the handpick of former Karl Rove pal Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, who sparked controversy by asserting that programs carried by public broadcasters have a liberal bias. Tomlinson resigned under pressure from the CPB board a day after the agency's inspector general delivered a report critical of his use of public funds.
Ms. Harrison's qualifications? She is a veteran public relations executive who served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2001 and as assistant secretary of state before her CPB appointment.
Also worth honorable mention is Daniel Troy, a former clerk for Judge Robert Bork. Troy was appointed as the Food and Drug Administration's chief counsel in 2003, after a decade working as a Washington lawyer to restrict the FDA's regulatory powers.
He won his share of legal battles, taking the side of the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries against the federal agency. A smidgeon of conflict of interest, you say?
Troy held over 129 meetings with drug industry lobbyists during his three years in office - his predecessor held one - and has helped drug companies defeat lawsuits. In four separate cases since 2002, the government has asked judges to dismiss potentially costly claims against drug makers.
Then there's Paul J. Bonicelli, PhD, appointed to be deputy assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development, USAID, with responsibility for overseeing the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance. As manager of the agency's democracy and governance programs, Bonicelli's office focuses on strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights; promoting competitive elections and political processes; increasing development of a politically active civil society; and implementing transparent and accountable governance.
His qualifications? Before joining USAID, Bonicelli served as dean of academic affairs and associate professor of government at Patrick Henry College, in Purcellville, Virginia. That institution is one of half a dozen evangelical leadership programs making steady inroads into Washington. It was founded five years ago with the goal of turning out "Christian men and women who will lead our nation with timeless biblical values." Nearly every graduate works in government or with a conservative advocacy group, and many of its future graduates have served as interns in the office of Karl Rove.
Bonicelli told The New Yorker last year that he believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible - news that his Muslim audience
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