The Gutting Of The Justice Department

[radfringe]

The Gutting Of The Justice Department
CBS News.com Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Says U.S. Attorney Firings Reveal Deeper Departmental Flaws
4/9/07
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/09/opinion/courtwatch/main2665402.shtml?source=mostpop_story

If the scandal over the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys came upon the nation like a bolt of lightning, the concerted effort by the White House to undermine the professional class of lawyers at the Justice Department has been rumbling like thunder for years. The immediate crisis concerning the federal prosecutors will be over soon enough. The Administration's forced brain drain at Justice threatens its stature and effectiveness for years to come.

Thanks to the spotlight's glare on how and why the Justice Department and White House conspired to fire eight loyal U.S. Attorneys last year, we now are hearing about how career professionals at Justice — nonpartisan federal lawyers who make up the backbone of the department — have been squeezed out or otherwise marginalized over the past few years by ideological (and in many cases underachieving and intellectually weak) attorneys chosen more for their partisan views and political connections than for their ability to offer unbiased and sharp stewardship over the nation's federal laws.

Some of the folks who are feeling the pinch are beginning to speak out. Emboldened by the fatally weakened Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the good guys are starting to make waves. In Minnesota last week, three top attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's office rebelled and demoted themselves to regular line prosecutors rather than work directly with the newly appointed U.S. Attorney there. The development was alarming enough to Justice Department officials that they promptly dispatched to Minneapolis a special envoy whose diplomatic mission apparently failed to persuade the rebels to recant.

The newbie who is causing the heartburn there is a woman named Rachel K. Paulose, a 34-year-old crony of the attorney general and his deputy, Paul J. McNulty. The Washington Post reported last week that "Paulose has drawn complaints from taxpayer advocates for an allegedly lavish 'investiture' ceremony held last month to commemorate her confirmation as U.S. Attorney, although Justice officials say the cost to the department was only $225. Paulose has also gained attention for her aggressive efforts to obtain 'righteous sentences' in child pornography cases."

[opihimoimoi]

1. Something smells real bad in the DOL...and it ain't dead fish.....

[izzie]

2. This sort of hits it for the last 6 years.

'Administration's forced brain drain at Justice threatens its stature and effectiveness for years to come.' ------It looks like it is going on all over the govt.where Bush has put in his people.

[Bitwit1234]

3. We can not stand two more years of this.

There is no way in hell the republicans in the senate will add their voice to impeachment, but isn't there some way bush and cheney could be arrested.

[tanyev]

4. kick