I don’t recall any stories about the plight of Bush loyalists
Washington Post, November 19, 2008: Senators Urge Bush to Stop Converting Political Posts to Civil Service Jobs:
Democrats in the Senate called on President Bush to halt any effort by his administration to place political appointees in career jobs just weeks before his team leaves office.But the White House yesterday said there is no orchestrated effort to embed Bush loyalists in the federal workforce before Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20. As happens with any handover of administration, hundreds of current officials in political jobs will be forced to relinquish their posts, and career workers will stay on.
Spokeswoman Dana Perino said that as a "matter of policy, the White House has not encouraged noncareer appointees to seek career positions in order to further the president's policies. The White House doesn't play a role in that career hiring process."
[snip]
Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote to Bush, saying that the recent transfers suggest a "regrettable, but entirely foreseeable" last-minute rush to fill jobs with administration allies. The senators urged Bush to keep his pledge of a smooth transition without partisan maneuvering.
"Today's report reveals that senior members of your administration are undermining your public commitment to ease the transition by reorganizing agencies at the eleventh hour and installing political appointees in key positions for which they may not be qualified," they wrote. "We respectfully urge you to stand by your public commitment to a smooth transition by directing executive agencies immediately to halt any conversions of political appointees to career positions."
-PJ