"One More Good American"

Perhaps it's old news that the U. S. Department of Justice politicized the hiring of career attorneys under the management of Monica Goodling, the DOJ's White House Liaison and Senior Counsel to the Attorney General, but the recently released investigative report on improper hiring procedures puts the story in headlines again today. As the U. S. Dept. of Justice's investigative report describes:

It is not improper to consider political affiliations when hiring for political positions. However, both Department policy and federal law prohibit discrimination in hiring for Department career positions on the basis of political affiliations. (p 12)

The report reminds us once again of the lawlessness of the Bush administration and the political hackery found throughout that administration. As the report indicates, Goodling broke the law in using political affiliation to make decisions on hiring career attorneys. In one instance, Bradley Schlozman, then interim U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, asked for waivers to hire an Assistant U. S. Attorney, and he described some of the candidates in conservative political terms, calling them, "rock-solid Americans." The e-mail interchange between Schlozman, EOUSA Deputy Director John Nowacki, and Monica Goodling indicates that the three equated "Good Americans" with Republicans:

That same day, Nowacki forwarded the three résumés by e-mail to Goodling in the OAG. Later that day, Goodling sent an e-mail to Nowacki saying, “Tell Brad he can hire one more good American.” Shortly thereafter, Nowacki sent an e-mail to Schlozman saying, “You can go ahead and hire one more good American.” Nowacki acknowledged to us that he understood the phrase “good American” to refer to someone with Republican credentials. (p 30)

I am so disgusted with this whole idea that Democrats and liberals are not "rock-solid American" or "Good Americans." This whole idea that one's political affiliation indicates one's true patriotism is downright un-American.

How do we combat this pernicious attitude? It is not only un-American, it undermines the effective workings of our government. Kevin Drum points out how one highly qualified candidate was dismissed because of his wife's political party affiliation! The individual who was subsequently placed in the position was very un-qualified, lacking the counter-terrorism experience required of the position as well as the minimum years' experience as a federal criminal prosecutor.

Oh, just read the whole report and weep! Monica Goodling's political vetting was not an isolated event. Candidates for positions with the Coalition Provision Authority were also vetted politically, and many young and inexperienced people were sent to Iraq unprepared, having met the administration's requirement that they be Republican but knowing little or nothing about the country they were to help lead. The consequences were disastrous. As "one more good American" AND a Democrat, I'm saddened and outraged by this incompetency--and lawlessness.