Politics over law...again
Wow. As if there hadn't been enough corruption by Republicans, now we get this tidbit, thanks to Josh Marshall:
A week ago it was reported that Justice Department lawyers had concluded at the time that the DeLay redistricting plan of 2003 violated the Voting Right Act, but that senior DOJ officials overruled that finding and okayed DeLay's plan anyway.
Justice Department officials have now instituted a policy to assure this never happens again. They have, as reported in today's Post, "barred staff attorneys from offering recommendations in major Voting Rights Act cases, marking a significant change in the procedures meant to insulate such decisions from politics."
It's the Bush model: politics over expertise and/or law. Whether it's at the Pentagon, the CIA, Justice or the EPA hardly matters. The formula is consistent throughout.
This is, of course, perfectly legal, but ethically challenged. Senior officials means political appointees overruled nonpartisan lawyers....of course. Just like the administration overruled nonpartisan intelligence analysts about Iraq, overruled nonpartisan scientists over clean air, overruled nonpartisan FBI agents on terrorism funding before 9/11, and the list goes on. They would rather do what they want rather than what is best, let alone right. The DeLay redistricting masterminds are all under indictment. They laundered money to screw Democrats and screw minorities, who were so spread out that they have no influence on voting whatsoever, stripping them of proper representation.
And to say that the career posts at these departments are filled with liberals is crap. Remember, in the last 25 years, only eight of them featured a Democratic president, and presidents make appointments who do the hiring at these departments, and I don't think Republicans are hiring boatloads of liberals. These are people who will stop at nothing to get complete power, and they must be stopped. Democrat, independent, or ethical Republican, anyone who will challenge these corrupt fools is welcome in my book. 2006 is a year to stop this thing before it gets too out of control.
A week ago it was reported that Justice Department lawyers had concluded at the time that the DeLay redistricting plan of 2003 violated the Voting Right Act, but that senior DOJ officials overruled that finding and okayed DeLay's plan anyway.
Justice Department officials have now instituted a policy to assure this never happens again. They have, as reported in today's Post, "barred staff attorneys from offering recommendations in major Voting Rights Act cases, marking a significant change in the procedures meant to insulate such decisions from politics."
It's the Bush model: politics over expertise and/or law. Whether it's at the Pentagon, the CIA, Justice or the EPA hardly matters. The formula is consistent throughout.
This is, of course, perfectly legal, but ethically challenged. Senior officials means political appointees overruled nonpartisan lawyers....of course. Just like the administration overruled nonpartisan intelligence analysts about Iraq, overruled nonpartisan scientists over clean air, overruled nonpartisan FBI agents on terrorism funding before 9/11, and the list goes on. They would rather do what they want rather than what is best, let alone right. The DeLay redistricting masterminds are all under indictment. They laundered money to screw Democrats and screw minorities, who were so spread out that they have no influence on voting whatsoever, stripping them of proper representation.
And to say that the career posts at these departments are filled with liberals is crap. Remember, in the last 25 years, only eight of them featured a Democratic president, and presidents make appointments who do the hiring at these departments, and I don't think Republicans are hiring boatloads of liberals. These are people who will stop at nothing to get complete power, and they must be stopped. Democrat, independent, or ethical Republican, anyone who will challenge these corrupt fools is welcome in my book. 2006 is a year to stop this thing before it gets too out of control.
posted by Thad at 3:07 PM
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