There are reasons to respectfully disagree with the focus of the Portland Press Herald’s dismissive editorial concerning the hiring of former Governor John Baldacci to a previously-non-existent position with the Department of Defense (“Our View: Rep. Wilson grandstands on Baldacci position”, March 18, 2011).
South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, is criticizing the hiring of Governor Baldacci, who was term-limited out of office. The Press Herald’s editorial was all about condemning Rep. Wilson - he’s the hothead who cried out “You lie” during President Obama’s State of the Union Address. He may be an idiot as the editorial took pains to point out. But there was no mention of the substance of the issue which is the job itself.
A question that might be asked is whether this job is the tip of the iceberg. Is it common practice to hire elected officials rotating out of public service – Republicans or Democrats - in temporary federal jobs?
Was the position advertised and were other candidates interviewed?
Was former Governor Baldacci the best candidate for the position and was he uniquely qualified to carry out the job?
Maine’s two Republican Senators support his hiring. Did they provide job references?
Baldacci’s immediate boss and the man who hired him for one year, Clifford L. Stanley, called the former-Governor’s assignment a “deep dive review” of how the military runs its health care and wellness programs. A troubling reality is that a person who works for Secretary Stanley, Jonathan Woodson, is an assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. Could it not be inferred that Woodson should know something about how the military runs its health programs since the word “health” is found in his job title?
Journalists who are “covering” this story – they more accurately seem to be reacting to it – and editorial writers who are opining about it, too, are missing the point: this isn’t about Governor Baldacci’s acceptance of a job or Rep. Wilson’s criticism. Governor Baldacci is a public servant whose reputation is above reproach. Wilson has lost credibility because of his offensive violation of House decorum and other comments. Can’t reporters rise above these givens and get to the real story? Don’t hold your breath.
