Don Boudreaux at Cafe Hayek writes,
...[I]t’s foolish in the extreme to suppose that politicians will create government agencies that will not be used politically. To assume that politicians can give birth to agencies (and regulations, and statutes) that are non-political makes no more sense than to assume that tigers can give birth to bunny rabbits. It might be a pleasant thought for those who fancy romance over realism, but it ain’t realistic.
No foolin'. Also, see this about how too many people are too quick to discuss market failures without discussing gubmnt failures.