Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Friday, March 30, 2007
Vote Influencing
Here's an LA Times story on exactly what was wrong with the prosecutors firings. Despite the "they serve at the pleasure of the President" mantra, this story outlines exactly what the Rove operation was all about:
THE SCANDAL unfolding around the firing of eight U.S. attorneys compels the conclusion that the Bush administration has rewarded loyalty over all else. A destructive pattern of partisan political actions at the Justice Department started long before this incident, however, as those of us who worked in its civil rights division can attest.

I spent more than 35 years in the department enforcing federal civil rights laws — particularly voting rights. Before leaving in 2005, I worked for attorneys general with dramatically different political philosophies — from John Mitchell to Ed Meese to Janet Reno. Regardless of the administration, the political appointees had respect for the experience and judgment of longtime civil servants.

Under the Bush administration, however, all that changed. Over the last six years, this Justice Department has ignored the advice of its staff and skewed aspects of law enforcement in ways that clearly were intended to influence the outcome of elections.
This is written by Joseph D. Rich, who was chief of the voting section in the Justice Department's civil right division from 1999 to 2005. He now works for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Indeed, there have never been limits on the Presidents ability to fire Federal prosecutors. But then, they've never been needed as Presidents have historically respected the spirit of an independent justice system.

Until now.

Ironically, one outcome of the Bush presidency may be a weaker President, not a stronger one.

A hallmark of a sociopath is the willingness to test, or break through, all limits. Throughout the six years Rove, with the backing of the stupid-ass preznit, has turned the government into a political operation with the sole goal of maintaining Republican supremacy. This is no surprise when you combine the Republican contempt for government with their thirst for power. We're seeing some of it exposed, but I seriously doubt we'll be able to find all the metastases, there's simply not enough time or investigators.
Written at 12:50 PM by Greyhair.
0 comments