DOJ's Civil Rights Division heads to the Right

Charlie Savage, known for his amazing work on Bu$hCo "signing statements", reveals in yesterday's Boston Globe "Civil rights hiring shifted in Bush era : Conservative leanings stressed" with the following being especially important:

In an acknowledgment of the department's special need to be politically neutral, hiring for career jobs in the Civil Rights Division under all recent administrations, Democratic and Republican, had been handled by civil servants -- not political appointees.

But in the fall of 2002, then-attorney general John Ashcroft changed the procedures. The Civil Rights Division disbanded the hiring committees made up of veteran career lawyers.

For decades, such committees had screened thousands of resumes, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations that were only rarely rejected.

Now, hiring is closely overseen by Bush administration political appointees to Justice, effectively turning hundreds of career jobs into politically appointed positions.

This article is the type of reporting that ought to get coverage yet I'm not optimistic. People must understand how Bu$hCo has run rough shod over our laws and traditions. Read this piece and make sure your friends and family know of this development. I loathed John Ashcroft for his radicalism and find Alberto "Abu" Gonzales equally troubling for his loyalty to Bu$hCo. But the bottom line is that both were brought to power under the directions of Bu$hCo. His will be the worst administration ever and I can only hope we'll have a way to reverse the damage he's done. Peace ... or War!