Temporary jobs in the White House

MaineWriter wants to know? What is the commission paid to the temporary hiring agencies that place their clients in "acting" White House positions? Haha.....

These days in Washington, inquiring minds want to know: 
A USAToday editorial echo

Trump's next chief of staff will be a "pretend chief of staff".

Who in his or her right mind would want to be President Donald Trump’s next chief of staff?

The job, available because of John Kelly's announced departure, is proving tougher than usual to fill. 

Nick Ayers, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, was once seen as the leading candidate, but he took himself out of the running. 

Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina is also out. And few of the remaining names are top shelf.

Why would one of the most powerful and desirable jobs in the world be so hard to fill? Let us count the ways.

Start with the fact there really isn’t an opening for chief of staff. There is an opening for pretend chief of staff. 

To the extent that a White House as chaotic as Trump’s could have a chief of staff, the position is already taken by presidential daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are said to have backed Kelly’s ouster and are involved in the search for a replacement. (In fact, Kushner was considered to be one of the five finalists that Trump said he is down to.)

Add to this the lack of job security. The next chief would be the third in less than two years and would be part of an administration that goes through staffers like kids go through peanut M&M's.

Finally, there are issues common to all senior staff positions in this West Wing.

Who, for instance, would want a job that comes with a substantial likelihood that the boss will pelt you with sophomoric and demeaning insults? (Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, once a captain of industry, is "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell," the president who hired him tweeted last week.)

Who would want to jump into a presidential sandbox that is looking more like legal quicksand as the president maneuvers to stay ahead of the law?

And who would want a job with so little payoff? For all of the abuse and legal peril of this job, association with the Trump administration is unlikely to lead to a plum position atop a corporation, trade association or university.

The difficulty Trump has had in replacing Kelly (a retired Marine general who ironically was brought in to restore order to a chaotic White House) is an apt symbol for an administration that is not only legally compromised but also grossly incompetent.

Trump has considerable political skills and a keen grasp of what plays with his base, but he is clueless about the managerial aspects of being a president.

Rather than establishing clear lines of authority, delegating secondary matters, and establishing protocols to make decisions and implement policies, Trump acts like he is running a reality TV show.

If he wants to, say, open a new front in the trade war or take a new tack in negotiations with Congress, he announces his intention by tweet or live television. His staff finds out when everyone else does and is left to adapt on the fly.

There is more to this than the careers of Washington’s elite. Presidents need high-quality, committed aides to deal with Congress, negotiate with foreign governments, and deliver unwelcome news.

Trump apparently doesn’t get any of this. The only adviser he really listens to is himself.

USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff.