But there is more to the story. And it follows the strategy described in Thomas Frank’s recent book, “The Wrecking Crew.” I’ve been given what is believed to be a very incomplete list of 33 names of people terminated or forced to resign. These people are being forced into the ranks of the unemployed. They include, by salary ranking, 13 people classified as GS-15 or GS 14, and another 20 GS-13s and GS-12s. Some of these people do not want their names made public. Others are perfectly happy to talk. They include:At the EPA:

• Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo
• Coriolana Simon

At the Department of Commerce:

• Janet Howard

At the Department of Labor:

• Charolette Yee

At the Department of Transportation:

• Taft Kelly

At the Department of Commerce – Trademark and Patent:

• Renee Berry
• Willie Berry
• Norman Wright
• Mary Dixon
• Fetfum Abramham
• Binta Robinson
• Dusta Yevassa

I’ve spoken with Marsha Coleman-Adebayo and Renee Berry. Coleman-Adebayo called what’s happening a “silent coup d’etat.” The Bush administration, she said, is “embedding their foot soldiers inside the government in order to sabotage any Obama initiatives while at the same time terminating federal employees who they assume would be supportive of the new administration.” She compared this process to a soviet purge.