They are so far past getting the 'trains to run on time' that I don't know what they hope to achieve by declaring ex-baath party members eligible for employment.

The time to use skilled administrators and competent personnel from Saddaam's regime was  after the invasion started - when it was clear to anyone that Sadaam wasn't coming back and that Iraqis needed to get on with whatever future they were going to have.  Instead they threw everyone out of a job under 'de-baathification' and began the circus of imported crony contractor know-nothing/do-nothings to begin operation bilk-the-US-gov't/taxpayers which continued for a couple of years.  While this was going on Iraq descended into lawlessness, paralysis, and a festering resentment of the occupation following the 'liberation' grew.  Then it was learned that  US forces were systemically torturing detainees, shooting people indiscriminately, raping and stealing, and unable to do much about the growing insurgency.  The Iraqi propagandists and assorted 'leaders' had a rhetorical field day at the expense of American 'prestige' which pretty much rendered void any hope of succeeding in the 'bringing democracy to the middle east' mission creep (fig leaf to cover the missing WMD rationale).

Let anyone with any professional skill/education sit in that situation for 4 years and they will  if at all possible get the hell out of Iraq and go somewhere with a hope of making a life for their family (New Zealand, Canada, whatever).  If I had been someone with any marketable skill and a Baath party member - I would have left Iraq right after the 'de-baathification' program started - I wonder who is left to show up and ask Maliki for a job?      

"...when theft and high crime becomes obscenely obvious to even the blindest beer sucking idiot, it is always the Republicans who are in office." -- Joe Bageant

...is what should have been implemented in Iraq as soon as the Coilition had control, and probably could still help now.  Was X a dean who helped the secret police compile lists on suspect students?  Get some witnesses to tell it to the court, and if he can't defend himself, out he goes.  That's how it should have gone.  Now, X will have to instead round up witnesses who can convincingly vouch for him as impartial observers in order to get his job back.

The process is open to corruption, yes, but at least there is a process, and people have measures to resort to before they take up arms.  But nooooooo, "all they understand is strength", surely they were cowed by shock and awe, let's round up all the Baathists and throw them out, our guns will keep them from hurting us.  What, they're hurting other Iraqis instead?  Not our problem, nope.

(is 3fingerspointback)

'Course there are comparisons to denazification here.  Back then, many Nazis were left in positions of power, only to finally be "outed" in the 60s by radical students.

But when you're trying to win the hearts and minds of a country, you need the trains to run on time, so to speak.