In terms of public sentiment, the scandal about hiring practices at the DOJ doesn't really trigger many seismic shocks. It all sounds so trumped up - we're supposed to be surprised that W's administration looked at the politics of people it was hiring, and sought to only hire people who toed the Republican line? Who among us, if interviewing for a position in the DOJ during the the past 7 years, would not have expected a question along the lines of "
What is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?"
Count me sadly naive, but I never dreamed that we had slipped so far.
The Department of Justice formerly was a proud institution (and I'm certain that many fine people remain in the ranks), and part of that pride was based upon the fact that they hired the best people for the jobs they filled. When I graduated from law school, Ronald Reagan was in the White House, and the only reason I did not bother applying for a job with the DOJ was the fact I knew my grades weren't high enough.
I fear that speaking of the days when the US Attorney's Office was a meritocracy makes me sound like some old fogey talking about the fictional days when children were always polite to their elders and there weren't any race problems. But, honestly, it didn't used to be this way. Sure, the heads of the local offices were political appointees, but they were appointed to run their offices competently and even-handedly. I disagreed with some of their priorities and decisions, but it was always an honest disagreement with the complete expectation that the work of the DOJ was above politics.
No more.
When
Shields and Cardarella were charged, I heard their claims that the prosecution was politically motivated, and I didn't want to believe them. But something about the charges and their timing seemed "off", and, sure enough, the people involved with the charges are up to their neck in the DOJ scandal. My inability to see clearly what was going on was because I filtered the fact through a rigid lens that saw the DOJ as apolitical. My vision was clouded by the memories I had back in the "good old days" of the Reagan administration (yes, I just typed that phrase).
It takes years to build a reputation, but only a weak moment to ruin it. The DOJ's reputation is now ruined. Those who wanted to elide "Justice" of the Department of Justice in favor of Department of Dirty Tricks - Legal Division, are now justified in believing they are correct. Most of the political hires were into "career" positions, where they will be tainting the process until the day they retire.
How many interviewees responded to Monica Goodling's sinister question by claiming a desire to serve Justice rather than George W. Bush? And how quickly did those good lawyers receive their rejection letters?
Labels: attorney general, Department of Justice
