A sharp reader points to what is essentially a puff piece by Steve Neal on former Blagojevich aide Doug Scofield. Puff piece isn’t pejorative to Scofield, but to the columns in which Neal writes uncritically of people he likes. While I don’t have the intense hatred of Neal that many do, this is essentially a lazy column. He is best when he is analyzing and not doing profiles.
The reader adds,
Scofield left as deputy governor largely because of the disorganization in Blago’s office. The failure to organize, hire adequate staff, and run a smooth operation meant that Scofield (one of the brightest of the bright) was left to work long hours and carry many burdens. This was not why he and his wife left DC (where he served Gutierrez immensley well). According to Scofield, not much has changed since he left.
As the Clinton Parallels continue, it appears that Team Blagojevich runs by the seat of its pants. This shouldn’t be shocking, but it certainly is similar to Clinton’s first couple years in office where the White House was chaotic and angered allies on a daily basis. All of the political stuff matters, but what new and especially younger executive officers tend to miss is that not only is the Governor a political operator, he is a manager of a huge bureaucracy. Without effective strategies to manage information and people things will quickly spin out of control.