Having worked at the Department of Justice, I was particularly torqued about the hiring scandal under the wildly incompetent Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. I thought Monica Goodling, the criminally corrupt White House Liaison who interviewed people and asked questions like "What is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?" and "Why are you a Republican?" represented the worst of Washington, and, frankly, broke the law.
Turns out I was right
Or wrong. Depending on whether or not you take those pesky quote-unquote "laws" seriously. In speaking to a group of folks who know a little bit about the law -- the American Bar Association -- our current Attorney General said:
"...not every wrong, or even every violation of the law, is a crime. In this instance, the two joint reports found only violations of the civil service laws."
Awesome. Not every violation of the law is a crime. I think Bush and Cheney should get that emblazoned on T-shirts for all the Administration staffers. It should be their Administration Motto.
Of course, the political DOJ spin doctors were quick to cover their boss's ass:
Justice officials say the attorney general's remarks do not preclude criminal prosecutions if wrongdoing is found in the inquiries into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 and the hiring practices in the department's civil rights division.
Sure. But you'll forgive me if I don't hold my breath. After all... not every violation of the law is a crime.
I miss the old Department of Justice. You know -- the one with dignity and the respect of the American people. Said Mukasey:
"Professionalism is alive and well at the Justice Department."
So is corruption and politicization, apparently.
cross posted at the Spencerian