Commentaries appear at regular intervals. If you would like an invited commentary for your publication, please let me know!

One of the dangers of a second term for U.S. Presidents is the tendency to surround yourself with "yes" men and women. Groupthink is a dangerous trap for any organization to fall into, and someone questioning premises is a good thing.

Another danger is replacing trusted people whom you have known for years with talented, but relatively unknown people. President Reagan suffered from the lack of personal knowledge about many people in his second term administration. Gone were the trusted friends whom he had known for decades and in their place were talented people, but some of them did not understand the nuances of "what Reagan wants". Iran-Contra happened in part because Reagan was used to people understanding what he meant when he asked "is it legal" when he was dealing with people who assumed that he meant "tell me its legal, no matter what". The assumptions that ran up and down the chain of command were also a factor in that scandal. People at the bottom of the food chain were under the impression that their orders came straight from the top while Reagan trusted people close to him to operate within the boundaries of existing law.

President Bush needs to guard against both of these problems. There are a lot of people who have supported the President who expect that support to be "cashed in" with appointments. These people will have little personal loyalty to the President. Another group of people seeking appointments are the "understudies" who have performed at just below cabinet status. They are likely to say what they think the President wants to hear in order to gain higher office.

President Bush should get opinions from all across the political spectrum and both inside and outside of traditional Washington power centers to find the best people for the jobs. The President's willingness to reach across the political aisle for help will benefit him, as will his ability to bring political opponents onto his team.

Ability should be the main criteria going forward, not political loyalty or past favors. It will mean the difference between an outstanding second term and a lackluster and/or scandal-ridden second term.

Groupthink is a dangerous trap for any organization to fall into, and someone questioning premises is a good thing.

President Reagan suffered from the lack of personal knowledge about many people in his second term administration

There are a lot of people who have supported the President who expect that support to be "cashed in" with appointments.

Ability should be the main criteria going forward, not political loyalty or past favors.