Obama--the grumblings

[richlevy]

Speaking of the Justice Department....

From here

February 04, 2009
Justice Department Rehires Attorney Fired for Being Gay

Leslie Hagen has returned to her job as an attorney for the Justice Department, 10 months after she was sacked for being gay.

Despite sexual-orientation discrimination protections within the Justice Department, Hagen lost her job. Monica Goodling, senior counsel to Gonzales, was responsible for removing Hagen from her position, and after an investigation by the inspector general it was discovered that Goodling had also been instrumental in preventing Hagen from seeking a new position within the Justice Department.

In attempting to fill Hagen's open position a nationwide search was conducted by the Justice Department. Hagen herself was one of the many who applied, and after several rounds of interviews, Hagen was offered her former position. On Monday, Hagen assumed a permanent position at the department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. (She had formerly worked on a yearly contract basis.)

The good news is that she went from yearly contract to permanent. The bad news is that they have still not admitted guilt and paid her legal fees.

Whatever happened to Monica Goodling?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by richlevy

Speaking of the Justice Department....

From here

The good news is that she went from yearly contract to permanent. The bad news is that they have still not admitted guilt and paid her legal fees.

Whatever happened to Monica Goodling?

I would guess the question is did they sue for legal fees at the time of the original complaint? Or did she just bargin with them.

Originally Posted by richlevy

Whatever happened to Monica Goodling?

For a lighter recollection of Monica and the DoJ

She was a top deputy to Ashcroft when he was AG and was the one who reportedly ordered drapes to be placed over the partially nude statue of the Spirit of Justice in the Justice Department's Great Hall where he would hold press conferences.

The press would takes pics from an angle to show Ashcroft right below her breasts or so they were accused by Monica of doing it deliberately to embarrass stuffy old Ashcroft.

And then this came out after she had the statue covered.."I hide you, babe"

http://polisat.com/ashcroft/ihideyoubabe.html

In some ways, the "cover up" was very symbolic of the Bush DoJ.

[richlevy]

I think John was just worried that people would be distracted trying to figure out which one was the bigger boob.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I would say it is sensationalizing a few bad apples at the top. Their rot did not always trickle down. Only one department has had formal complaints, there are some others under investigation. So far no one has been charged. Most of the problems were in the Civil Rights Divsion as you point out or with the political appointment of Gonzales. The rest are speculative or under investigation. Don't accuse the whole department because of a few bad actors.

Once you find the rot, you assume the whole tree is bad until you prove otherwise.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Redux, that's because it's so hard to find adult thought among the common run of the Democrats. Once you've totted up Joe Lieberman, then who? It gets thin after that.

The stimulus is nothing other than a borrowing to cover the damage of bad borrowing, is it not? That's the overarching grounds for criticizing the stimulus bill. Doesn't sound like something to repose confidence in to me, yet remarkably large numbers of Democratic congresscritters are alllllllll for it. Somebody is NOT PAYING ATTENTION to the federal deficit, and that is the thing that debases the currency. But who's stopping the debasement of the currency?

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Redux, that's because it's so hard to find adult thought among the common run of the Democrats. Once you've totted up Joe Lieberman, then who? It gets thin after that.

Liebermann isn't a democrat.

And I was impressed with Fiengold's record, during the last 8 years of fucked up lawmaking.

UG...the facts speak for themselves.

Circumventing FISA and spying on citizens w/o a warrant.

Politiicizing the DoJ, particularly the civil rights division and using DoJ resources to attempt to create bogus voting rights cases to block minority voters.

Blocking or delaying FOIA requests and limiting the "peoples" right to know.

Blocking or editing federal science research that did not meet their ideological test.

The politicizing of Inspectors General in many executive branch agencies.

The list is endless.

Gun rights? WTF?

And your condescension it just a load of crap in attempt to divert the facts.

In fac, the Bush administration has made most of the country howl...not just the left.

You're an adult thinker..so am I ....and we both know the game you're playing.

And how about those Republicans of "integrity" in the 109th Congress...and the K Street influence peddling (I thought you might another reminder )

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

UG...the facts speak for themselves.

Circumventing FISA and spying on citizens w/o a warrant.

Politiicizing the DoJ, particularly the civil rights division and using DoJ resources to attempt to create bogus voting rights cases to block minority voters.

Blocking or delaying FOIA requests and limiting the "peoples" right to know.

Blocking or editing federal science research that did not meet their ideological test.

The politicizing of Inspectors General in many executive branch agencies.

The list is endless.

Gun rights? WTF?

And your condescension it just a load of crap in attempt to divert the facts.

In fac, the Bush administration has made most of the country howl...not just the left.

You're an adult thinker..so am I ....and we both know the game you're playing.

And how about those Republicans of "integrity" in the 109th Congress...and the K Street influence peddling (I thought you might another reminder )

Let me guess, talking points lifted from MoveOn.whoreg?

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Let me guess, talking points lifted from MoveOn.whoreg?

As you well know, I provided cites for many of those in other discussions...(FISA, FOIA, DOJ politicization, politicization of IGs...) ..none of which was moveon.org

I can give you more cities if you like, when i have time

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

As you well know, I provided cites for many of those in other discussions...(FISA, FOIA, DOJ politicization, politicization of IGs...) ..none of which was moveon.org

I can give you more cities if you like, when i have time

No, as I clearly pointed out, you are concentrating on some very small segments of the last 8 years. Not that some of them have not had a significant impact on that single narrow area of government cited. But the fact remains that the example you have cited are very small and detract from the fact that there are a lot of good people in the rest of these agencies who have worked hard for all the right reasons for the last 8 years, and they have done a good job making things work. So far I have not seen anyone getting dragged into the Senate to be Impeached before Congress. Wait, that did happen before Bush. I think it was for Lying Under Oath.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

No, as I clearly pointed out, you are concentrating on some very small segments of the last 8 years. Not that some of them have not had a significant impact on that single narrow area of government cited. But the fact remains that the example you have cited are very small and detract from the fact that there are a lot of good people in the rest of these agencies who have worked hard for all the right reasons for the last 8 years, and they have done a good job making things work. So far I have not seen anyone getting dragged into the Senate to be Impeached before Congress. Wait, that did happen before Bush. I think it was for Lying Under Oath.

I have never impugned the reputation of the honest workers in the executive branch.

My focus has been the political appointees at the top. And the evidence of questionable practies, some of which were violations of administrative policies and practices and others violation of law.

The number of such questionable actions across the executive branch over the last eight years exceeds any recent administration and that is a fact.

added:

Here is an example I raised before....the appointment of Inspectors General in the Executive Branch.

The IGS are supposed to be the watchdogs of the federal agencies. There are guideline for their appiointment that makes it clear that the appointment should not be political but rather merit based.

In nearly 2/3 of the agencies of the executive branch, the Bush appointment to the position of IG did not meet those guidelines, but were political (former WH employees, RNC employees, staff members of Republicans in Congress) with no auditing, investigation or legal experience. In the Clinton admin, it was less than 1/3.

This action is not illegal or even a violation of administrative laws or procedure...IMO, it is unethical.

And it is not a small matter...it runs across the board of the executive branch and impacted the manner in which impartial oversight was not in place to ensure that federal agencies acted legally, ethically and in the public interest.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

You mistake me for playing a game. What I am doing is enlightening you whether you're with it enough to appreciate it or not. The blinkers have to come off, and then you are fully free, adult, and human.

When were you or anyone you know wiretapped? I haven't been, either, and I might theoretically be a better candidate for monitoring: decades ago, I held compartmented access to top-secret information, pursuant to my job at the time. Could somebody wonder if I have secrets to sell?

People have hollered that "FISA is being circumvented" but a closer look says they're still controlling intelligence gathering on communications between foreign "persons of interest" and US persons speaking with them.

FOIA's access frankly goes up and down, broadening and then narrowing, and its determination of what is releasable and what isn't remains closed to the public -- just as it always was. As a onetime intelligence professional, I can say I understand why this must be. It boils down to one thing: you never compromise your sources. Make your targets figure 'em out themselves. Meanwhile, you do all in your power to let the targets stay complacent. All in your power amounts to quite a bit.

"Bogus voting rights cases to block minority voters" is a popular shibboleth among the Left, but evidence remains lacking. Even the most determinedly anti-Administration newspapers have nothing they'd call solid. And if they have no confidence, as much as they'd prefer to...

That you would say "Gun rights? WTF?" that blankly illustrates how terribly unversed you are in a republic's fundamentals -- that you don't know enough to value even this basic thing. Sorry, Redux, but that was patronizable in the largest manner. You must grasp this national fundamental before you can think intelligently, and if you're a man of parts, you can grasp it with ease. If you're not smart, you will exhibit no understanding. It is a basic mechanism for "a Republic, if you can keep it."

Nobody I know was howling in this country, Redux, and I'm no hermit. Your circle of friends seems too small, too cloney, and too much an echo chamber. Never confuse the Left with "the country;" the data do not support this idea.

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

You mistake me for playing a game. What I am doing is enlightening you whether you're with it enough to appreciate it or not. The blinkers have to come off, and then you are fully free, adult, and human..

Thanks for your revisionist enlightenment.

"Fully free, adult, and human"....could you be more childish in your characterizations of those who disagree with you?

But if you want to play that game, I think you're an arrogant blowhard.

BTW, its a game with me...I dont take people like you in a political forum very seriously. But its fun to cut you down with facts.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

If you had facts at your disposal, I daresay you could have fun. But you aren't having the fun you think you're having.

Let's see, no wiretapping of self or friends, or even enemies, correct? No midnight knock on the door either, I daresay.

No labor camps for citizens either, come to that.

Arrogant? Maybe: and look at what I have for opposition. Try three of the examples: one who cannot escape a taint of antisemitism and has no clear idea maybe she should, and a couple of neurotic bellowers I'd not invite to dinner, one who believes everything the Soviets ever said about the United States, and one who doesn't, but is a strict Constitutional obstructionist. Can anyone besides themselves take them seriously? I've earned every atom of arrogance I command, and I've earned it here.

No support for the "blocking minority votes" idea comes to mind, I see.

Nonetheless, I do respect your intellectual abilities. You can write. I think you try and be fair -- I'm just still reckoning "garbage in -->garbage out." Time to take out the garbage.