The first two years are offense, the second two years are defense. Bush's policies that now appear to be so extreme, those applauded by the right wing, are thought of as pandering to the most conservative people in his party, but they are the people who will be handing out leaflets in the congressional elections of '02. The following two years of reconciliation, of seeming compromise, though, will be enough to placate them in order to have their help in '04. It's the difference between public wealth and private wealth. Private wealth wins.
Public wealth is diminished.
The Department of Justice doubtless will save money with the absence of special prosecutors and the anti-Clinton law firm adjunct department. But it also will save money from not prosecuting white-collar crime and SEC violations. The Department of Labor's being reduced is the most expected outcome. It is surprising only in that it wasn't reduced more. Given the Bush administration's two-year window of blitzkrieg offense, look for the Supreme Court to lose at least two justices at the end of this year's term.