Prosecutor Posts Go To Bush Insiders - Less Preference Shown for Locals, Senators' Choices

[Pirate Smile]

Source: Washington Post

Prosecutor Posts Go To Bush Insiders
Less Preference Shown for Locals, Senators' Choices

By Amy Goldstein and Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, April 1, 2007; Page A01

About one-third of the nearly four dozen U.S. attorney's jobs that have changed hands since President Bush began his second term have been filled by the White House and the Justice Department with trusted administration insiders.

The people chosen as chief federal prosecutors on a temporary or permanent basis since early 2005 include 10 senior aides to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, according to an analysis of government records. Several came from the White House or other government agencies. Some lacked experience as prosecutors or had no connection to the districts in which they were sent to work, the records and biographical information show.

-snip-
No other administration in contemporary times has had such a clear pattern of filling chief prosecutors' jobs with its own staff members, said experts on U.S. attorney's offices. Those experts said the emphasis in appointments traditionally has been on local roots and deference to home-state senators, whose support has been crucial to win confirmation of the nominees.

The pattern from Bush's second term suggests that the dismissals were half of a two-pronged approach: While getting rid of prosecutors who did not adhere closely to administration priorities, such as rigorous pursuit of immigration violations and GOP allegations of voter fraud, White House and Justice officials have seeded federal prosecutors' offices with people on whom they can depend to carry out the administration's agenda.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101158.html?hpid=topnews

[hootinholler]

1. 9 recs before a kick, telling, isn't it.

Thanks for that, front page, Sunday paper.

-Hoot

[rodeodance]

3. VERY telling

[rodeodance]

2. choosing insiders. yup---that sure is Bushie thing!

Choosing insiders as U.S. attorneys is not improper, given the wide latitude the law provides presidents in selecting federal prosecutors, and all administrations tend to choose those who share their basic legal outlook and party affiliation.

Still, academics and other experts say, the appointments appear to alter a long-standing culture of autonomy for the nation's chief prosecutors. James Eisenstein, a Pennsylvania State University political scientist who has written a book on U.S. attorneys, said that historically, federal prosecutors have regarded operating "in a politically neutral, nonpartisan manner" as a cornerstone of their roles. Hiring people from Justice, Eisenstein said, "was very unusual."

[Lerkfish]

4. kick, and the elephant's ass they rode in on

we need to rid ourselves of these parasites.

[krkaufman]

5. Telling of what? n/t