Why isn't this on the Greatest Page?: Justice Department Looked For Liberal "Buzz Words" On Resumes

[Richardo]

I know, it makes you want to channel Claude Rains in Casablanca: "I'm shocked - SHOCKED - to find illegal gambling in this saloon!"

But really, what else can one reasonably expect when 'Senior Political Adviser' is a Cabinet-level post. Oh yeah, and when your Administration is filled with toadys from top to bottom. The damage to the objectivity of Justice Department prosecutions is immeasurable and will take decades to repair, if that can even be done. As Jamie Gorelick said on NPR, it's "disgusting".

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/24/justice-department-looked_n_108931.html

The NPR story --> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91853803

The full report here --> http://media.npr.org/documents/2008/jun/doj_hiring.pdf I can't wait to read it.

Note: I disagree with Schumer's quote below - this is but another in a long line of smoking guns.

WASHINGTON — Ivy Leaguers and other top law students were rejected for plum Justice Department jobs two years ago because of their liberal leanings or objections to Bush administration politics, a government report concluded Tuesday.

<snip>

The investigation is one of several that examine accusations of White House political meddling within the Justice Department. Those accusations were initially driven by the firings of nine U.S. attorneys in late 2006 and culminated with the ouster of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general last September.

<snip>

...in 2002, many applicants who identified themselves as Democrats or were members of liberal-leaning organizations were rejected while GOP loyalists with fewer legal skills were hired, the report found. Of 911 students who applied for full-time Honors jobs that year, 100 were identified as liberal _ and 80 were rejected. By comparison, 46 were identified as conservative, and only four didn't get a job offer.

The political filtering of applicants ebbed for the three years between 2003 and 2005, the inquiry found, then resumed by 2006.

<snip>.

Investigators blamed two political appointees on a three-person screening committee for the preferential treatment. It also singled out one of them, former deputy attorney general staff chief Michael Elston, for failing to make sure the hirings were proper _ and giving evasive and misleading answers about why they were not.

<snip>

"This is the first smoking gun," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We believe there will be more to come. This report shows clearly that politics and ideology replaced merit as the hiring criteria at one of our most prized civil service departments."

[dflprincess]

1. Per KO tonight, one of the terms looked for was

"social justice".

[PeaceNikki]

4. Clearly a phrase only used by trouble-makers!

:eyes:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. A wingnut columnist in my local rag is constantly going on about that phrase

He uses it interchangeably with "socialism" and "marxism" in his screeds about libruls in our state universities. :crazy:

[mcg]

16. because they want social injustice. nt

[Richardo]

18. Check out the list of disqualifying 'liberal' organizations (2002)

Liberal Organizations

American Civil Liberties Union
American Constitution Society
Amnesty International
Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Advocates
Bisexual Law Student Association
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
Center for Constitutional Rights
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Coast Alliance
Committee of Refugees from El Salvador
Conservation International
Conservation Law Foundation
Earthjustice
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Resources Trust
Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Inc.
Georgetown University Institute for Public Representation
Georgia Project Center for Democratic Renewal
Grassroots Environmental Effectiveness Network
Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Watch
Innocence Project
International Human Rights Law Group
Law Students Against the Death Penalty
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance
Mexican American Legal Defense
Midwest Environmental Advocates
NAACP Legal Defense
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Nature Conservancy
New York University Brennan Center for Justice
Northwest Environmental Defense Center
NOW Legal Defense
Partnership for Civil Justice
Physicians for Human Rights
Planned Parenthood
103
Pridelaw
Public Citizen
San Diego Baykeeper
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Save Our Wetlands, Inc.
Sierra Club
Texas Immigrant and Refugee Coalition

Such liberal causes: Environment. Civil Rights. GLBT. Reproductive Rights.

Who needs those in a Justice Department? :eyes:

The mind truly boggles. Boggles.

[dflprincess]

29. The ACLU - I'm not surprised

but it's time to repeat Michael Douglas' lines from "The American President",

"Why yes, I AM a card carrying member of the ACLU - an organization devoted solely to protecting the rights guaranteed to you by the United States Constitution - the question is, why aren't YOU a member?"

[kimmylavin]

34. Love that movie.

Sometimes I just watch the speech at the end - gives you hope. :)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

44. Funny. Rush loves them.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108140,00.html

[Horse with no Name]

63. speaking of the ACLU

what ever happened to the photos from Abu Ghraib that they were supposed to get?

[road2000]

35. Oh, good. Whew.

Guess it's AOK to list the Southern Poverty Law Center.

[Clark2008]

43. It's got the name "Southern" in it.

They problem think, like many on this board do when they hear anything connected to the South, that it's a Republican stronghold.

:P

[road2000]

53. Heh. You're right...

But it also has "Poverty" -- definite nasty liberal buzzword!

[tbyg52]

54. Wow - I didn't even notice they weren't on it!

Just goes to prove BushCo is full of idiots.

[TBF]

40. Amnesty Int'l & Human Rights Watch - you sure can't trust those people

They might actually hold some accountable for things like torture.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. I was wondering that myself.

[Faygo Kid]

3. Exactly. I should never have included "Zap Comics" on my resume.

FORGIVE me, I am weak. Kicked and highly recommended, anyway.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. Using "Fuck The Patriarchy" as my personal mission statement on mine prolly wasn't a good idea.

No wonder they didn't hire me. :rofl:

[Faygo Kid]

9. Now, CUT THAT OUT.

This is series. And hugh.

OK, one more glass of wine, then off to bed.

[defendandprotect]

52. "Capitalism is a ridiculous King-of-the-Hill System" was popular . . . !!!

[Octafish]

50. That and The Fabulous Furry Freak Bros.

PS: If I were there, I'd've recommended ya, faygokid.

[Mythsaje]

62. LOL

I don't remember that one. Does it say anything about my upbringing if I make mention of the fact that I loved the Freak Brothers as a kid?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. Hey, just for fun, we should flood the Justice Dept. with resumes.

Imagine them having to pore over the CVs of DUers. :evilgrin:

[Richardo]

15. "Hobbies: Mocking the Administration on a liberal website"

:D

[RoseMead]

42. ROFL

:rofl: I resemble that remark!

[Echo In Light]

8. K&R

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Regent. Fucking. University

Boot Camp for the Foot Soldiers Of The Theocracy.

[sofa king]

20. And Patrick. Fucking. Henry.

"God's Harvard" specializes in training home-schooled Christians by giving those hopelessly ignorant people a continued sheltered existence from the vagaries of the society over which they feel they are ordained by Jay-sus to rule.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0421-09.htm

I feel really sorry for those kids, because in their case the path to privilege has also led us all straight to disaster. They are the standard of competence by which the Bush Administration will be forever remembered.

I know that for the rest of my life I'll have to be aware of my own prejudice against students from these right wing loyalty-colleges, lest I find myself guilty of a similar bias to that which nearly destroyed our nation. If it ain't good for them, it can't be good for me, even though the obvious-looking solution is to box these kids out of normal life forever because of the path chosen for them by their zealot parents.

[drm604]

26. Truer than you realize.

Soldiers indeed: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/drm604/25

[tom_paine]

11. K & R and I'm shocked that there is gambling in this establishment!

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. What slimey bastards Republicans are.

And they have balls to complain against Affirmative Action.

[Richardo]

13. That....is an excellent point.

:thumbsup:

[proud patriot]

14. KO is discussing this Abrams did as well

[malaise]

21. DUers must compile a list of everyone of these

favored Rethug hacks. They are going to show up in the not too distant future.

[Kablooie]

17. It's now confirmed even on MSM but...

... who is going to suffer consequences?

No one.

I'll bet the only thing that comes from this is statements that it will be corrected under the new administration.

Other than that, the Repubs have spiked the whole justice system for 8 years and the bias they installed will remain until is gradually fades away.

And no one will go to jail.

[deacon]

19. k + r n/t

[Richardo]

22. Also on the NPR report yesterday - a little irony: Carol Lam, US Atty in San Diego...

...protested the 'deselection' of a qualified candidate in 2006. Of course, she was one of the nine USAs fired by Gonzalez, which led to the investigation which turned up this program.


HA!

[cascadiance]

30. Yes, I saw this on TPM Muckraker yesterday too...

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/fired_us_attorney_among_those.php

From what it says, it might have been this very recommendation of a former Clinton appointee that got rejected that got her on the "early firing list" as early as January 2006.

I and a few other activists let her know how we felt when she left the day after Valentine's Day and indicting the likes of Brent Wilkes, Dusty Foggo, etc.

[Buzz Clik]

23. I'm flattered.

[Richardo]

24. At least now you know why you're not a US Attorney

:D

[Buzz Clik]

25. No doubt. In my case...

... they're all buzz words. :(

[Jackpine Radical]

41. Well, that and the fact

that I never went to law school.

[beac]

55. If an applicant can get a job with a degree from Regent or Patrick Henry, I don't see

why you couldn't get one with NO degree. You'd have about the same standard of legal training.

Regent and PH are basically the "Draw Tippy the Turtle" equivalent of law schools.

[Jackpine Radical]

57. All I have is a PhD in psych & lots of experience testifying

as an expert witness in criminal cases. Where do I sign up for "Draw Tippy" training?

[beac]

64. Just another "over educated" (never understood that slur..lol) liberal, eh?

In case you don't have a matchbook or an old Superman comic lying around, apparently you can now apply for that prestigious "art school" online:

http://www.creativepro.com/article/creativeprose-tippy-the-turtle-and-pirates-too-


I'm actually kind of surprised the marketing folks at PH and Regent haven't put little "Draw Bushie" ads in the backs of bibles. ;)

[L. Coyote]

27. The bullet hurt like hell. Good thing we found some smoke!! LOL

The smoking gun is not needed when you have bullet holes in the corpse of the DoJ!!

[stanwyck]

28. And yet Joe Scarborough thinks our concern is just

silliness. This morning he kept repeating "Imagine, a government agency not wanting to employ people opposed to their policies. Imagine!" Not one work from Joe, or his obsequious staff, that the Justice Dept. is the one agency which is not supposed to be about political appointees. It's very nature is, historically, about hiring the most qualified without consideration of race, religion, gender, or political beliefs. But, no, to Joe, this is just more liberal whining and a subject to ridicule.
The man has a real problem with substance. You can always count on Joe to make the argument which requires the least thinking. His show improves 100% during his absence.

[NBachers]

31. From Justice Dept. to Just Us Dept.

Joe has a special interest in seeing that justice is not administered for murdered intern Lori Klausutis.

[RedLetterRev]

48. Almighty Pundit Joe

whose political career ended all-too briefly when a dead girl showed up most inconveniently in his office. Clock's ticking on him, too, and no amount of dissemblance is going to stop it. Somehow, Karma always comes around. :popcorn:

[DeeDeeNY]

32. Schumer must think we are not paying attention

His boy Muckasey is marginally better than Gonzo.
The entire justice department has become a joke.
I still can't get over Monica Goodling saying she took a pledge to obey W and having to be reminded that actually it was a pledge to obey the Constitution.

[Papa Boule]

33. With warrantless eavesdropping and TIA archiving of all communication and records

they can use snoopbots and spiderbots and look for "liberal buzz words" all they want.

I feel so safe and secure.

[HereSince1628]

36. Ekzactky Vhat Dont Chu Get About DOJ Vanting Only Goot Amerikans?

It zeems to me dat you need a fvew moor montz in za cooler to tink about dis.

[clevbot]

37. k& r

[fascisthunter]

38. Doing this is akin to Destroying Politics in a Country Itself

doing that is very dangerous. Politics is necessary to keep a country together and work out differences through compromise and not violence. No government employee should ever be targeted and discriminated for their political leanings, EVER!

These actions are the same actions the nazis, fascists and communists used to gain totalitarian control. Wayyy over the line.

[TBF]

39. Good. By eliminating the smart kids and hiring the "morans" instead,

Barack's new AG should be able to find all kinds of mistakes to pin on Bush/Cheney. It's not like they will be clever enough to hide what they did. Interesting how people hang themselves if you give them enough rope (or, in this case, if they steal the rope).

[LeftishBrit]

45. Disgusting!

And shades of the old Soviet Union.

Party Apparatchiks rule OK! Republican Party Apparatchiks, of course.

[WoodyD]

46. About that pledge . . .

I still can't get over Monica Goodling saying she took a pledge to obey W and having to be reminded that actually it was a pledge to obey the Constitution.

And we all know that they're diametrically opposed -- if you're obeying W you are, by definition, gleefully trashing the constitution. I always wondered if Goodling was that stupid or if it was a Freudian slip. By "Justice Dept." this administration means "Our jack-booted thugs who can destroy anyone who disagrees with us." Like Don Siegelman.

[EV_Ares]

47. It certainly should be on the first page. This is something we have known

to have gone on and yet we haven't put away anyone for all of the illegal activity that has gone on with this administration.

I am keeping my hopes up.

[kestrel91316]

49. Isn't this how the Soviet Union under Stalin used to be run?

I mean, what with PARTY LOYALTY being the prime, if not the ONLY, consideration?

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[defendandprotect]

51. These people know they have never "won" an election and that when

a thinking public understands what they are up to --- they are out --

So everything has to be hidden ---

When you watch this sneakiness and secrecy you understand that they KNOW
they were never elected ---

[libodem]

56. It's not on the greatest page

because we have such clinical strength outrage fatigue. My jaw is about unhinged from it whacking the floor. How did I know they were only hiring their own? I think it was from when I heard they were only taking candidates from Bob Jones University to work on rebuilding Iraq. I just don't think anyone is surprised at any crime that is discovered any more. Par for the course.

[Richardo]

58. The point is that it's proof, not merely rantings on a liberal website.

Documented. By the DOJ OIG. That makes it remarkable.

[Richardo]

59. Oh, and since I wrote that title it's received about 70 recs and IS on the Greatest Page.

So I think some people were excited by the news.

[spiffydigs]

60. Hmm

I hope the Peace Corp doesn't cost me a job...

[Richardo]

61. Not if you apply after January 20, 2009.

:D