O’Beirne’s staff posed blunt questions to some candidates about domestic politics: Did you vote for George W. Bush in 2000? Do you support the way the president is fighting the war on terror? Two people who sought jobs with the U.S. occupation authority said they were even asked their views on Roe v. Wade.

Many of those chosen by O’Beirne’s office to work for the Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq’s government from April 2003 to June 2004, lacked vital skills and experience. A 24-year-old who had never worked in finance — but had applied for a White House job — was sent to reopen Baghdad’s stock exchange. The daughter of a prominent neoconservative commentator and a recent graduate from an evangelical university for home-schooled children were tapped to manage Iraq’s $13 billion budget, even though they didn’t have a background in accounting.

This is an administration that put a former organizer of Arabian horse shows in charge of FEMA.  Is anyone surprised at how things get bulloxed up?

I think Publius’ take on this story is right on the money:

Not to be too blunt, but this stuff got people killed. Getting these tasks right was essential back when we actually had some window to do something about them. But not only were they not done right, no one even made an attempt to do them right. Sending a home-schooled kid right out of college to run Iraq’s budget is about as clear a signal as you can send that you don’t really care about the job. But they’ve never really cared – about any of it. And if they do, there simply isn’t any evidence to convict them of that charge.

UPDATE:  The Corner’s K-Lo misses the point entirely:

That "daughter of a prominent neoconservative commentator" went over to Iraq and "often put herself at great personal risk to visit her counterparts at the Iraqi Ministry of Finance," as her post-service citation from the DOD notes. The insinuation that civilians who sacrifice to serve are getting posh perks is infuriating. And though I can’t vouch for everyone who’s been over there, just from the stories I do know, I’m grateful we have such brave people who are willing.

Note to K-Lo: Nobody is dissing her or her willingness to service.  The problem is that she and others were hired for a job that she was grossly unqualified to perform.  If your great-grandmother was hired (without qualification) to be a fireman, I would give her props for her valor.  But I wouldn’t count on her to rescue me from a fiery inferno.