Affirmative Action at The Justice Department

Here's the New York Times story on the issue of preferred hiring at the Department of Justice:

Justice Department officials over the last six years illegally used “political or ideological” factors to hire new lawyers into an elite recruitment program, tapping law school graduates with conservative credentials over those with liberal-sounding resumes, a new report found Tuesday.

The blistering report, prepared by the Justice Department’s inspector general, is the first in what will be a series of investigations growing out of last year’s scandal over the firings of nine United States attorneys. It appeared to confirm for the first time in an official examination many of the allegations from critics who charged that the Justice Department had become overly politicized during the Bush administration.

“Many qualified candidates” were rejected for the department’s honors program because of what was perceived as a liberal bias, the report found. Those practices, the report concluded, “constituted misconduct and also violated the department’s policies and civil service law that prohibit discrimination in hiring based on political or ideological affiliations.”

So it was affirmative action for the idiots who couldn't get into Harvard, Stanford, Yale or Duke, huh? Because, let's face it--the best and the brightest rise to the top no matter what. If you're a smart lawyer, no matter where you went to school, that will show--provided there isn't a biased old-boys network systematically fucking you over and denying you the opportunities you deserve. (Hence, the reason why affirmative action was, and is, and always will be a good idea.)

I thought the Republican Party and conservatives as a whole were against affirmative action. Did I miss the moment where they decided that they had to give the also-rans and the kids who weren't smart enough to get into a top tier law school that extra leg up, that extra little push to enter the legal profession through the programs offered at the Justice Department? Does anyone else smell the hypocrisy on these cheap-suit wearing fools?

As I said earlier today, they'd better get rid of every single one of those Liberty University Law School Jerry's Kids and issue a course correction here. You cannot leave any of those people in the ranks of the Justice Department. It would be like leaving Gomer Pyle in charge of a SEAL team.

--WS

No Love for Corrupt ex-Congressman JD Hayworth

Poor JD Hayworth. When last we saw him, he was getting swept out of office for being too corrupt for the people of Arizona to tolerate. Now he's begging for cash:

In my case, I firmly believe Justice Department lawyers started preliminary inquiries AFTER the stories appeared. In other words, DOJ attorneys read the papers like everyone else, and the false allegations appearing in the press and on the internet attracted their attention.

At any rate, I had to retain legal counsel in Washington , D.C. to communicate with the Justice Department and co-ordinate compliance with the DOJ’s requests for documents. Whatever remained in the campaign treasury went to cover those fees–and they did not cover them completely.

As a result, I still have outstanding legal bills that total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That’s why “The Freedom in Truth Trust” has been established. Its name comes from holy scripture (”You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”–John 8:32), and its acronym (FIT) is accurate, since this entire episode has given us fits!

The trust was set up by local legal counsel and is administered by a California accounting firm.

Because this is not a political campaign account, IRS gift rules govern personal contributions. Individuals can give a total of $12,000 (twelve thousand dollars) annually; married couples can contribute a total of $24,000 (twenty four thousand dollars).

Ha Ha! Yeah, you read that right. Married couples can pony up 24K. What? The economy isn't THAT bad, right?

"Justice Department" lawyers went after you? The same group that couldn't find corruption in the Republican Party if it hit them in the head? You've gotta be a blatantly corrupt member to get chased after by a Republican controlled DOJ, dude. As in, stupid enough to make a bribe menu. Stupid enough to write shit down in E-mails and stupid enough to think you would never get caught.

Hey--if DOJ couldn't make a case against you, well, all the better. It's a rule of law thing, and if they couldn't nail you, they couldn't nail you. Ain't freedom sweet? Sounds like someone's bitching because they got to keep their freedom. Is that really the American way?

I left my "donation" at his site:

Pale Rider Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.

March 28th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
What happened to the boasting loudmouth who used to go on Imus and run Democrats down?

Suck on it, Hayworth, you miserable clown. You oughta be wearing an orange jumpsuit and picking up trash along the freeway.

You know, some of my best work NEVER sees the light of day. Wingnuts moderate their stuff so tight you'd think the words a, an and the were intended to separate them from their mortal coil.

Hey, JD? Has Russert called lately?

China Reacts

The Chinese reaction is somewhat mild, to be honest.

(CBS/AP) China on Wednesday strongly protested the U.S. military's mistaken delivery to Taiwan of intercontinental ballistic missile electrical fuses, demanding an investigation and steps to "eliminate the negative effects and disastrous consequences."

In a statement posted on the ministry's Web site, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China had brought a "serious representation" to Washington and expressed "strong displeasure" over the error.
The U.S. Defense Department said Tuesday that the Air Force had mistakenly shipped to Taiwan four electrical fuses designed for use on intercontinental ballistic missiles. The fuses have since been recovered and an investigation launched.

At the Pentagon, CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin reports that although the U.S. is constantly wringing its hands about the nightmare scenario of loose nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists, this was another egregious case of the Pentagon not being able to keep track of its own nuclear weapons.

While the shipment did not include nuclear materials, the error is particularly sensitive because Beijing vehemently opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governed island that China considers its own territory. Four of the cone-shaped fuses were shipped to Taiwanese officials in fall 2006 instead of the helicopter batteries they had ordered.

Hey, at least we're getting to the bottom of these things in a timely manner. And I don't know how you confuse these things with helicopter batteries, but whatever. They were obviously sent to Taiwan to avoid detection with a built-in plausible deniability story concocted to make it all seem innocent. These items were obviously sent through a reverse engineering process, whereby the Taiwanese could quietly study and develop their own versions, if not set up something where they could make these things for us. Money changed hands, the transfer of the technology was done, and they'll probably get away with this.

The bottom line is, someone needs to sweep out the God boys and restore trust in the leadership of the United States Air Force.

Dodd and Murray Call on HUD Secretary To Quit

I would file this under the category of 'doesn't have the decency to do the right thing and quit.'

WASHINGTON -- Two Democratic senators said Friday that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, buffeted by allegations of cronyism and favoritism, should resign.

Sens. Patty Murray of Washington state and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut said that Jackson's problems represented a "worsening distraction" at HUD at a time when the nation needs a credible housing secretary who is beyond suspicion.

"It is time for Secretary Jackson to go," Murray said.

Murray chairs a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on housing, while Dodd is chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. The pair sent a letter to President Bush urging him to request Jackson's resignation.

Jackson has refused to answer questions about his role in a Philadelphia redevelopment deal. The city's housing authority has filed a lawsuit charging that Jackson tried to punish the agency for nixing a deal involving music-producer-turned-developer Kenny Gamble, a friend of Jackson.

At a subcommittee hearing last week, Murray repeatedly asked Jackson about the Philadelphia deal and other allegations of wrongdoing, including an investigation by HUD's inspector general that was triggered by Jackson's boast that he once revoked a contract because an applicant said he did not like Bush.

The inspector general, after a four-month inquiry, turned up no evidence of a canceled contract. But the report found what it called "some problematic instances" involving HUD contracts and grants, including Jackson's opposition to money for a contractor whose executives donated exclusively to Democratic candidates.

Murray said she offered Jackson a chance to "debunk any misunderstandings and clear his name." Instead, "Jackson stubbornly refused to provide the answers the American public deserves," she said.

Imagine that. Jackson decided to not respond to questions from lawmakers and, well, basically decided that he didn't need to comply with oversight.

I'd sure like to be around when a Democrat tries that in front of a Republican-controlled committee one day. Sadly, the way things are going, it might be 2075 before the Republicans ever control Congress again.

Mukasey won't enforce Contempt Citations

Here is your Friday News Dump™. And boy howdy, is it the sort of thing a failed administration would really try to release after the east coast network news broadcasts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Friday rejected referring the House's contempt citations against two of President Bush's top aides to a federal grand jury. Mukasey says they committed no crime.

Mukasey said White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former presidential counsel Harriet Miers were right in refusing to provide Congress White House documents or testify about the firings of federal prosecutors.

"The department will not bring the congressional contempt citations before a grand jury or take any other action to prosecute Mr. Bolten or Ms. Miers," Mukasey wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The House voted two weeks ago to cite Bolten and Mukasey for contempt of Congress and seek a grand jury investigation. Most Republicans boycotted the vote.

Speaker Pelosi requested a grand jury investigation yesterday (Thursday) and gave Mukasey a week to reply. He wasted no time in responding, because he only had one crack at the news dump. Had he responded on Thursday of next week, it would have been THE STORY all day Friday and going into the weekend.

Pelosi is pissed, and apparently prepared to make good on her threat to file a federal civil suit if the attorney general dug in his heels and refused to act as the attorney the people of this country instead of the president.

Mukasey, taking a very Nixonian position, has maintained that Miers and Bolton were right to refuse to appear because Bush told them not to. And acting on the orders of the president means they committed no crime. Like I said - Nixonian, like when he said to David Frost "[W]hen the president does it that means that it is not illegal."

Folks, this is exactly why we need to ITMFA right now. Because if aWol is not impeached, he can pardon the whole lot of them, putting them out of reach of a future Justice Department. But a president under impeachment can't pardon a thanksgiving turkey.

UPDATE I - PALE RIDER

Say we're sitting here a year from now--and Attorney General John Edwards has just refused to investigate whether some Presidential aides to President Obama have to appear before Congress because some Republican Congressman thinks they might have something to say about why all of the deleted E-Mails suddenly appeared after a few very talented people were able to retrieve them from some tape backups that were found under Bradley Schlozman's cookie cabinet in his old office. How shrill do you think these hypocritical bastards are going to be? And how loud are we going to be laughing at them for being so shrill?

O Death...

Did you know that the Republican Party is polling to try to figure out just how racist they can go this fall if Barack Obama is the nominee?

The Republican National Committee has commissioned polling and focus groups to determine the boundaries of attacking a minority or female candidate, according to people involved. The secretive effort underscores the enormous risk senior GOP operatives see for a party often criticized for its insensitivity to minorities in campaigns dating back to the 1960s.

The RNC project is viewed as so sensitive that those involved in the work were reluctant to discuss the findings in detail. But one Republican strategist, who asked that his name be withheld to speak candidly, said the research shows the daunting and delicate task ahead.

Republicans will be told to “be sensitive to tone and stick to the substance of the discussion” and that “the key is that you have to be sensitive to the fact that you are running against historic firsts,” the strategist explained.

I think Republicans should just remind people how things used to be in this country because, if there's one thing that wins elections, it's the Southern Strategy they used with great efficiency for a number of years...and don't forget to tell people about how cool it is to be a member of a secret society!

"My Lobbyists Are Honorable"

Wow.

Sen. John McCain said Friday that while lobbyists serve as close advisers to his presidential campaign, they are honorable and he is not influenced by corruption in the system.

McCain, who has styled himself as an enemy of special interests, defended having lobbyists working for his campaign. He is the expected Republican presidential nominee.

"These people have honorable records, and they're honorable people, and I'm proud to have them as part of my team," McCain told reporters following a town hall meeting in Indianapolis.

If that doesn't sink him, nothing will.

The Washington Post adds:

[W]hen McCain huddled with his closest advisers at his rustic Arizona cabin last weekend to map out his presidential campaign, virtually every one was part of the Washington lobbying culture he has long decried. His campaign manager, Rick Davis, co-founded a lobbying firm whose clients have included Verizon and SBC Telecommunications. His chief political adviser, Charles R. Black Jr., is chairman of one of Washington's lobbying powerhouses, BKSH and Associates, which has represented AT&T, Alcoa, JP Morgan and U.S. Airways.

Senior advisers Steve Schmidt and Mark McKinnon work for firms that have lobbied for Land O Lakes, the UST Public Affairs, Dell and Fannie Mae. [...]

In McCain's case, the fact that lobbyists are essentially running his presidential campaign -- most of them as volunteers -- seems to some people to be at odds with his anti-lobbying rhetoric. "He has a closer relationship with lobbyists than he lets on," said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "The problem for McCain being so closely associated with lobbyists is that he's the candidate most closely associated with attacking lobbyists."

Public Citizen, a group that monitors campaign fundraising, has found that McCain had more bundlers -- people who gather checks from networks of friends and associates -- from the lobbying community than any other presidential candidate from either party.

Just don't expect to find that information out on your own. Here, for example, is the current front page of the online edition of the Washington Post.

Note that a "pro-surge" editorial by Krauthammer is featured with larger type and graphics than the blurb about McCain and his lobbyist ties.



[Click to Enlarge]

UPDATE I - PALE RIDER

Some delusional wingnut at News Busters has completely the opposite take:

The fallout continues from yesterday's New York Times hit piece on John McCain. The paper itself doesn't seem eager to put up a fight as network news broadcasts, liberal bloggers, journalism professors, and the general public are questioning the Times's journalistic standards.

Yesterday's inflammatory story, which used anonymous sources to forward nine-year-old allegations from his first presidential run suggesting an improper relationship by John McCain with a female telecommunications lobbyist, received prominent front-page placement; today's follow-up on McCain's press conference was relegated to page 20 -- Elisabeth Bumiller's "McCain Disputes That Aides Warned Him About Ties to Lobbyist."

Actually, it's just the opposite--the Washington Post is doing all it can to help McCain with its online edition by touting the "success" of the surge and burying the story about the truth of the matter--and the truth of the matter is, McCain has extensive connections and ties to lobbyists. Who cares about the sex stuff? It's irrelevant.

Your wingnut pushback machine in action, only not so effective these days.

UPDATE II - PALE RIDER

Bwah! I told you he was finished.

Broadcaster Lowell "Bud" Paxson today contradicted statements from Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign that the senator did not meet with Paxson or his lobbyist before sending two controversial letters to the Federal Communications Commission on Paxson's behalf.

Paxson said he talked with McCain in his Washington office several weeks before the Arizona Republican wrote the letters to the FCC urging a rapid decision on Paxson's quest to acquire a Pittsburgh television station.

Paxson also recalled that his lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, attended the meeting in McCain's office and that Iseman helped arrange the meeting. "Was Vicki there? Probably," Paxson said in an interview with The Washington Post today. "The woman was a professional. She was good. She could get us meetings."

The recollection of the now-retired Paxson conflicted with the account provided by McCain about two letters at the center of a controversy about the senator's ties to Iseman, a partner at the lobbying firm of Alcalde & Fay.

So there's nothing there and the media are doing what about it?

I'll tell you what some are doing--some are doing their jobs. Some ain't. And the wingnut smear machine's pushback sucks, doesn't it?

It Really Is a Republican Crime Syndicate

Smile, you're under indictment.



Yes, that's Rep. Rick Renzi, state co-chair of the McCain's leadership team in Arizona, under indictment for damned near everything.

A 26-page federal indictment unsealed today accuses Renzi and two former business partners of conspiring to promote the sale of land that buyers could swap for property owned by the federal government. The sale netted one of Renzi's former partners $4.5 million.

A little newswatch for you--see if you can see where they identify any linkage to McCain in this article from MSNBC.comin this article:

Congressman charged in land deal

WASHINGTON - Republican Rep. Rick Renzi has been indicted for extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other charges related to a land deal in Arizona.

A 26-page federal indictment unsealed in Arizona accuses Renzi and two former business partners of conspiring to promote the sale of land that buyers could swap for property owned by the federal government. The sale netted one of Renzi's former partners $4.5 million.

Renzi is a three-term member of the House. He announced in August that he would not seek re-election.

Today's indictment comes after a lengthy federal investigation into the land developing and insurance businesses owned by Renzi's family.

In April 2007, federal agents raided a Sonoita, Arizona business owned by Renzi's wife, Roberta.

You read that right--MSNBC.com continues to carry water for McCain and the pushback from the NYTimes story is having an effect, apparently. If a Clinton or Obama guy sneezes and gets indicted for it, regardless of who they are or where they are on the chain of command up to the candidate, you're going to hear about it. Not so with McCain, of course. Because McCain doesn't have lobbyists in his campaign--he has friends, of course. Friends like Rick Renzi. Who couldn't even serve three terms without using his office to line his pockets.

I guess it isn't news when, the day after McCain denies being involved in shady dealings with a lobbyist, a member of his home state Congressional delegation, a supporter of his at a very high level, and a man with who he's written legislation gets a kiss-of-death indictment. I guess McCain's "mentoring" of the three term Congressman ain't what it was cracked up to be.

And, bear in mind, the Republicans still control the fucking Justice Department. That Renzi was indicted at all, in lieu of the US Attorney scandal, says a lot.

Yes--there's ALWAYS a nice picture to go at the end of one of these posts...
























UPDATE by Blue Girl, Noon Central

There is a whole ‘nother level to the Rick Renzi story that hasn’t been addressed. Here is the part you haven’t heard, from beyonddelay.org

"In 2003, Rep. Renzi sponsored legislation (signed into law in November 2003) that earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars to his father’s business while, according to environmentalists, devastating the San Pedro River. The provision, which was added to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, exempted the Army’s Fort Huachuca base in Sierra Vista, Arizona from maintaining water levels in the San Pedro River as called for in an agreement made in 2002 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rep. Renzi claimed he introduced the measure to prevent the closing of the Fort and to promote its enlargement. Environmentalists, however, concerned about the impact Fort Huachuca’s expansion may have on water consumption and the fate of the San Pedro River, argued that as the fort expands, so too would the local population, draining water from the river. Notably, neither the fort nor the river is located in Rep. Renzi’s district."

"A key beneficiary of Rep. Renzi’s legislation was ManTech International Corp., a Fairfax, Virginia based defense contractor where Rep. Renzi’s father, Retired Major General Eugene Renzi, is an executive vice president. General Renzi served at Fort Huachuca during his career in the military. ManTech had $467 million in contracts at Fort Huachuca with options for an additional $1.1 billion between 2004 through 2008. In addition, the company, which has an office in Sierra Vista, Arizona, was the largest contributor to Renzi’s 2002 congressional campaign and the second largest in his 2004 campaign."

And this is the analysis of bmaz at Watching Those We Chose:

This information is extremely critical to the Renzi equation, in spite of the fact that it is not what the superficial mainstream media are focusing on. Ft. Huachuca is not just a nice town near the fragile San Pedro River, it is an important, if not critical, military intelligence facility. Renzi's father is much more than a simple pass through for money on the land deals you are hearing about. Renzi's father is Gene Renzi, who is one of the owners and chief executives of a not so nice, and not so little, company by the name of ManTech International. www.mantech.com If you are not aware of ManTech, take a look at them. If you ever wondered what in the world was the general template for rogue security outfits like Blackwater Inc; here is your answer and more; and what is in the public domain is a mere fraction of what they appear to really have going on.

There has been a long running controversy over the groundwater/environmental contamination issue, with much of the effort being led by a firebrand local environmentalist by the name of Dr. Robin Silver and his group, the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity. Dr. Silver has been tilting at both Renzis for years, is tenacious, and is owed a debt of gratitude for pressing the case against Rick Renzi from the outset. It has long been rumored that there is much more than the groundwater/environmental bit going on the Renzi/ManTech front, and that giant digital fiber optic trunk lines carrying all types of critical information and data, including some highly secure, i.e. the kind that all the illegal and warrantless Total Information Awareness programs might would desire and require, are involved.

All of this is just a rumor, of course; there has never been any substantive confirmation, nor any hard evidence at all. Of course that is what you would expect if it is just a loony conspiracy theory; it is also what you would expect if the rumors were true. This much is known: Eugene Renzi is a very major, under the radar, VERY connected player in the absolute highest levels of intelligence gathering, data mining and analysis. With, and through, John Poindexter (Gene Renzi and Poindexter have an enduring, tight, decades long parallel path in Naval and Army Intel, with Gene Renzi reportedly being tasked or associated with Poindexter on spook type NSA programs during the Reagan/Bush41 years), Gene Renzi is said to be directly connected to Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld. There appears to be far more here than could have been imagined.

My imagination is ginned up. How ‘bout yours?

UPDATE II - PALE RIDER at 1:26 Eastern

I spent two months on Fort Huachuca--hated every minute of it.

What they have there is the training set-up for almost all of military intelligence--Army, Navy, USAF and Marines go there for schools. They do the UAVs there, they do some collection and they have a blimp that flies aloft most days to watch people crossing the border.

Much of what goes on there is not so hush-hush or significant, however. Misawa, Fort Meade, Fort Lewis, Hawaii, Denver, Fort Gordon and Lackland all have facilities that are probably a lot more significant than Huachuca.

UPDATE III - BLUE GIRL at 7:00 Central

If I had known that the congressman was indicted the day after his father's funeral, I might have worded my concerns about specious contracts and ManTech a bit differently. MG Eugene Renzi was laid to rest yesterday. The congressman's attorneys are decrying the timing and the crass nature of issuing an indictment today, before he has been allowed a decent mourning time.

And that attitude pisses me off...I would ask "why is he so special?" I knew someone in high school who ran afoul of the law and was in jail when his grandma passed away. He was allowed to attend the funeral...wearing orange and shackled, and he and his guards sat in the back of the church, alone. He was not allowed to speak to his siblings as they buried the grandmother who raised them. So I don't feel too sorry for a criminal republican who was indicted after the funeral, and not during. Who the hell does he think he is that he should get different rules than everyone else? That very notion makes me want some arrogant assholes head on a platter every time I witness it, no matter who is displaying it.

Who The Hell Does He Think He Is?

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson [pictured here] has decided to adorn the lobby of the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development with massive pictures of himself.

Forget that Jackson is a mere crony from Texas. Forget that he was supposed to get the memo about how all of the Texas cronies were supposed to hotfoot it out of DC last year. Forget that the man is being investigated. Forget that his tenure will be forgotten the minute the Bush Administration is rolled out of town, either in a paddy wagon or a moving van full of looted treasures and broken promises.

Who the hell puts up a "love me" wall in the lobby of a public building, at the cost of several thousand dollars? (If not more.) The "love me" wall goes in the office, dumbass.

Tour groups need not even go through the inviting metal detectors to admire 20 large, color photographs of the secretary, each about 2 feet by 3 feet. No fewer than five of them feature Jackson with President Bush-- in the Rose Garden, in the Oval Office, chatting together, coming down the steps at the Capitol.

And

Don't forget -- when you finish admiring this exhibit in HUD's southeast entrance, the one used by the public and folks on official business, there is another at the northeast-corner entrance just a few steps away.

This one is equally stunning but a bit smaller, with only 18 photos -- and only two with Bush. There are more photos of Jackson speaking, testifying and looking thoughtful, and one of him talking on a cellphone near a building, which again offers a clue as to his government job.

If that's not largesse, I don't know what is. If that's not a delusional display of pride, hubris and personal self-aggrandizement, I don't know what is. And I don't care what it cost--it's money wasted.

Here's what one commenter at ThinkProgress.org had to say about Jackson:

I was working the Kennedy Center Honors front door in 2004. It’s a major DC social event.

Long line of cars, taxis, limos, formed along the front plaza - everyone had to wait their chance to get out of their cars and into the building. Among those waiting were the trademark black Suburbans containing government officials.

I had been watching one Suburban and follow up vehicle inch forward toward the door over the course of about 5 minutes. When it finally reached the door, out bounded Don Rumsfeld. No lights. No sirens.

About 10 minutes later, two other Suburbans came into view, roared past the line of waiting cars, and with lights and sirens on, jumped the line and cut several cars off. While blocking the entire entrance, 3 security men in bad suits piled out of the chase car. About three minutes later, they popped the door open and out bounded Alphonso Jackson.

I mean, come on. No one cares who the fuck the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is. And he needs that kind of security? WTF???

Thanks again, Republicans. You've foisted another mental case on America, in the form of a crony picked to run an agency of the Federal Government.

Notice how we got through a whole post about HUD without mentioning the dismal job that agency has done over the past seven years? I mean, why get all wonky when you can't get past the reckless delusion of the political appointees?

Hey...wait a minute...delusional self-aggrandizement...putting up pictures of yourself everywhere...didn't we already see this show?