From a piece by Christopher Hayes in The Nation:

“… the sublime value of bureaucracy. Not only is governance of any kind impossible without it; so too are the checks and balances of a constitutional republic. Red tape is what binds those in power to the mast of the law, what stands in the way of government by whim. That’s why an Administration hostile to any checks and balances has sought to reconstitute the federal civil service as just another lever in its machine.

… Like teachers at a high school who watch classes of students come and go, the bureaucrats remain while the administrations change. When the current occupant of the White House leaves, his appointed hacks will leave with him, and whether or not someone actually committed to governing takes his place, the bureaucrats will be there, as always, to do their duty. (The Nation)”

There’s some comment on this piece over on Matthew Yglesias’ blog at The Atlantic.
h/t to the Fedblog

New media applications are popping up everywhere. On subway straphangers. Inside elevators. Over the dentist’s chair. Over the urinal.

Normally reserved for beer ads, dating services and condom come-ons, the bathroom has been co opted by one government agency. Mark Anderson, a manager with Workforce Safety & Insurance,  the workers’ compensation agency in North Dakota, has put in place the “Info To-Let” - a clear plastic sleeve mounted on the bathroom walls, over the urinals, and in the stalls themselves.

The sleeves are used to pass along internal communications messages, including soliciting suggestions for employee of the month and announcements about the Christmas party.

“Basically, we just try to keep employees ‘flush’ with the news of the organization so they get a ‘handle’ on everything,” Armstrong laughs …
“We just completed a survey this month, and the vast majority of respondents—89 percent—found ‘Info To-Let’ to be either highly effective, effective, or were neutral in their opinion,” he says. “Only 11 percent of employees found it to be ineffective.” (Ragan)