Bush, the Movement Conservatives and Justice: The Pact (Scott Horton)

[kpete]

Change or Continuity for the Bush Justice Department?
DEPARTMENT
BY Scott Horton
PUBLISHED November 17, 2007


Bush, the Movement Conservatives and Justice: The Pact

But a far more serious concern from Mukasey’s first week goes to nominations to fill the numerous senior vacancies in the Department of Justice. A well-placed source informed me at the time of Mukasey’s hearing that the President Bush, who is deeply committed to “keeping the base happy,” had struck a compact of sorts with disgruntled “movement conservatives” who wanted to see Ted Olson become attorney general. (1) They would get a private meeting with Mukasey (that occurred, and has been reported on in some more depth in a recent column by Sid Blumenthal.) (2) Bush would personally address the Federalist Society’s annual meeting (that also occurred). And (3) the major open vacancies at the top of Justice would be filled with “movement conservatives,” limiting the risk that Mukasey would be able to set much of a new course.

more at:
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/11/hbc-90001683

[TwilightGardener]

1. Making sure his last months in office are just as destructive as ever.

[L. Coyote]

2. POlitization continues and Mukasey seems to be a team player already.

For one thing, Mukasey was one of the lead trumpets on the RESTORE veto idea. Media report said he would recommend veoting to Bush if the bill did not contain retroactive telecom immunity. That places him in a cover up and obstruction of justice role during his first week in that the bill requires Bush to rerport on his warantless spying--the real reason they want to veto. Say "welcome" to a new liar and obfuscator as the highest law enforcement office holder.

Now Horton adds this:

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The OPR appears to be acting as a “deep freeze” for politically sensitive matters. They are sat upon. This fits a pattern of comatose oversight that is common to the Bush Administration.

Consequently, I do not expect the OPR’s FISA probe to go anywhere. ....
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HOrton also provides this convenient checklist for the “loyal Bushies” that is reminiscent of the old Stalinist USSR< just a different party!

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.... the criteria: are they party members? Do they work in election campaigns? Do they give money to Republican causes? Are they members of the Federalist Society, or a similar party organization, with a track record of active participation? For whom did they clerk? This was a test designed to identify persons willing to betray their office for political purposes. And looking over the list of nominees, it is hard to resist asking whether the same criteria were applied to pick candidates that Kyle Sampson would have discussed with Karl Rove. Here are the nominees:

[pscot]

3. Mukasey probably has some leverage

It would be very disruptive if he were to quit. If the bushies lean on him too hard, it might get his back up.