This has to go down as one of those “what were they thinking moments”

The “purpose” of the memo states: “Come to an agreed State Department position on the extent to which non-U.S. citizens will be admitted to the United States for treatment of Ebola Virus Disease.”

The document goes on to discuss – and advocate for — devising such a plan. The memo recommends that “State and DHS devise a system for expeditious parole of Ebola-infected non-citizens into the United States as long as they are otherwise eligible for medical evacuation from the Ebola affected countries and for entry into the United States.”

Do read the entire story as well as the link to the memo if you have time. In fairness, State was attempting to provide assistance to local citizens of the Ebola affected regions who are US government contractors. Still, as a matter of simple politics, particularly a week before an election and in a nation clearly nervous about the disease and its spread, this has to rank as one of the more inept moves ever.

It would be easy to suggest that this is just another example of an administration which cannot get out of its own way, but that would be shooting fish in a barrell. I think it’s a perfect example of a government which is so bloated and so in search of anything to justify much of its unnecessary apparatus that it runs amok in this manner. There is little to fear in this silly exercise, but that doesn’t mean the next time these people won’t do real harm.