An email from Edward M. Kennedy

[babsbunny]

Do you remember when President Bush tried to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor with his longtime friend Harriet Miers?

That sort of cronyism didn't stop in 2005.

The Bush Administration has quietly and methodically placed reliable partisans in positions of influence throughout the Justice Department and in U.S. Attorneys' offices throughout the country. For the White House, the Justice Department isn't an institution to fairly protect all citizens - it's nothing more than a partisan resource to influence the outcome of elections.

Bush and his allies won't abide by the limits of decency in their campaign to hold on to power. They don't hesitate to abuse the law, ignore experts or defy public opinion in pursuit of their right-wing goals.

Tell President Bush: the White House isn't a pawn for the Republican Party's partisan games.

Joseph Rich, a civil rights attorney with a 35-year record of Justice Department service under presidents of both parties, described the "destructive pattern of partisan political actions" within the Bush Administration:

"n a five year period the Department brought NO voting cases and only one employment pattern or practice case on behalf of African-Americans. And NO voting cases on behalf of Native Americans. At the same time, there were several reverse discrimination employment cases brought and the first ever case on behalf of white voters alleging discrimination by African American Democratic Party operatives in Mississippi."
According to Mr. Rich, the credibility of our chief law-enforcement agency has been undermined by party-driven prosecutions, abandonment of voting-rights enforcement, and the replacement of competent career attorneys with allies of Karl Rove.

In key swing states such as Florida, New Mexico and Iowa, top prosecutors were replaced with Republican Party loyalists. At least two of the eight fired U.S. Attorneys were investigating claims of Republican corruption - and one was fired for refusing to indict Democrats before the 2006 election.

Enough is enough. Tell the White House to stop playing partisan games with Justice Department appointees.

Our tax dollars should be working in the public interest, not paying political operatives to improve the prospects of the Republican Party and sabotage the rule of the law.

For the Bush administration, partisan politics comes first, and the American people come last.

Sincerely,



Senator Edward M. Kennedy