From the
AP:
The Justice Department is edging into the Senate controversy over judicial nominees, writing key lawmakers after Democratic Leader Harry Reid publicly referred to an FBI file on one of President Bush's controversial appointees.
"The letter expressed concern about recent remarks on the floor of the Senate which alluded to an FBI background investigation file provided by the Department of Justice to the Senate Judiciary Committee on a confidential basis in connection with a judicial nomination," a department official said Friday night.
The official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said the letter did not refer specifically to Reid, or to 6th Circuit Court nominee Henry Saad.
- For years, reporters have been writing about this file (common knowledge in the public domain).
- This is a politically motivated "leak" by a Justice Department "anonymous source" -- total partisan politics.
- No where does the letter mention Reid, but the "leak" brings Reid into the story, making it clear that the intention is a political smear.
This is disgusting.
Matt Singer has more...Bush Admin Still Trying to Push Story, Going Into Violate Separation of Powers Mode:
Where was this concern a year ago, when Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenow, and Charles Hurt all referred to these materials? It was nowhere. This isn't concern about what's going on. It's the Bush Administration trying to hijack democracy by meddling in the legislative process, inferring that the legislative branch must defer to the executive, and generally ransacking the principles of our Constitution.
This is low -- even for the Bush Administration.
Yet this demonstrates clearly the power of the blogosphere. Bloggers did an amazing job killing the story, in fact such a good job that the Justice Department has now been enlisted in the smear designed to fake a scandal that can take down Reid.
When it comes to the Nuclear Option, the out-of-control Republicans lack the votes in their own party. They don't have the votes they need, they don't have public opinion. The one thing they do have is control of government and it looks like Bush is willing to have our government play the hatchetman role this feeble attempt to fake a scandal.
Comments are closed on this story.