TTA: there is the cabinet which includes among others: VP, Secretaries of State, treasury, defense...... and many others . These people have to be "confirmed" by the Senate. Presidential advisers or Saff are not on the cabinet, don't have to be" confirmed "people named Andy Card, Carl Rove, Karen Hughes, Richard Perle .... these are people closely trusted by the President and have daily access to GWB,, friends if you will , many of which have been with him since he was Governor of Texas. Most of these people help the president shape his policies because of the trust factor between them.
eg. The treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, had only met GWB once in his life, he is a republican, knew Bush 1, worked for Nixon and Ford and is a Former mutimillionaire corporate (ALCOA) CEO who knows money matters, that is why he was chosen for that spot. He has since resigned / was fired depending who you get your info from, because in his own words "BUSH's agenda and policies were not a culmination of spirited debate among competing views even within his cabinet. He literally said "GWB was like a blindman in a room full of deaf people" it is in his book.
Paul O' Neill is extremely intelligent, a lifelong republican, worth 60 to 70 million dollars, left ALCOA reluctantly at the behest of GWB/ Cheney, is not making a dime from his book. Therefore, why would he disparage GWB?? and his policies, not just Iraq, but economics especially Deficits. I f he felt uncomfortable in his administration??????