Goodling Passed Over Experienced Counterterrorism Prosecutor Because Wife Was A Democrat
Goodling Passed Over Experienced Counterterrorism Prosecutor Because Wife Was A Democrat
In today’s Justice Department report on Monica Goodling’s and other DOJ officials’ politicization of the department, the investigators reveal that Goodling’s political considerations were “particularly damaging to the Department because it resulted in high-quality candidates for important details being rejected in favor of less-qualified candidates.”
In one disgraceful example, Goodling refused to hire “one of the leading terrorism prosecutors in the country” because his wife was a Democrat:
He was an experienced terrorism prosecutor and had successfully prosecuted a high-profile terrorism case for which he received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service. … The candidate’s wife was a prominent local Democrat elected official and vice-chairman of a local Democratic Party. [...]
[Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Michael] Battle, [EOUSA Deputy Director and Cheif of Staff] Kelly, and EOUSA Deputy Director Nowacki all told us that Goodling refused to allow the candidate to be detailed to EOUSA solely on the basis of his wife’s political party affiliation. Battle said he was very upset that Goodling opposed the detail because of political reasons.
Goodling’s “damaging” refusal, the report notes, forced the EOUSA to “select a much more junior attorney who lacked any experience in counterterrorism issues” and was grossly unqualified for the position:
Because EOUSA had been unable to fill the counterterrorism detail after Goodling vetoed this candidate, a current EOUSA detailee was asked to assume EOUSA’s counterterrorism portfolio. … He had no counterterrorism experience and had less than the minimum of 5 years of federal criminal prosecution experience required by the EOUSA job announcement. Battle, Nowacki, Kelly, and Voris all said they thought that he was not qualified for the position, since he had no counterterrorism experience.
Another section of the report verified early claims that Goodling had forced out a career attorney “because Goodling had problems with the AUSA’s alleged sexual orientation.”
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How did Goodling get this position in the first place? She was so unqualified.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:08 pmget lots of rope!
July 28th, 2008 at 12:08 pmheck-uva-job goodling.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:09 pmCronyism over Experience.
Foundation of the Bush Administration and the Republican party that Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, KKKarl Rove and George W. Bush created/destroyed.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:09 pm.
Hey, she’s blond, white and Aryan…
… give her a break. [/snark]
.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:11 pmAnd to top it all off, she looks just like all the other women in this administration (minus Rice) – like Fox News “anchors”.
What’s up with that? It’s really weird.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:13 pmThe way Goodling did her job was clearly wrong, and I hope she gets what’s coming to her as a result of her misusing her position.
But does anyone here believe that the politicization of the Justice Department begins and ends with Goodling? I will be outraged if she is made the sole scapegoat.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pmThe Republicans don’t think competence counts for anything. Loyalty is all they require. Besides, how can they prove government doesn’t work if they hire people who can actually do their jobs.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pmSilly Reich Wing Fascists and their Silly Reich Wing fascist views.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:16 pmUnfortunately, the best thing about this story is the fact that
Mufakesy will have to answer some questions. Again. And Again.
That veneer he’s had on since taking the AG position is wearing mighty thin. He’s become transparent, and may well end up being charged with obstructing justice himself for refusing to investigate any of this shit.
God doesn’t do politics, Monica. Yes, you’re going to Hell now.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:16 pmBingo, Shayne.
Incompetence works for them, because it reinforces their mantra that government can’t work.
Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the rest of the nation, Americans are figuring out that it’s only Republican government that can’t work.
At least, they’re figuring that out for the moment.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pmWow. Another example of Republican policy keeping us saver than the Democrats can.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pmHelp me out here, I have never had to disclose which political party I favored, or voted for. So, do some states have to designate their party affiliation ? How does anyone know who votes for who ?
July 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pmWHAT A STUPID TRAITOR OF A WHORE.
Where did all these un-American a$$holes come from anyway?
July 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pmAs clear cut case of party before country or politics before national security as there can be.
Despicable.
Someone PLEASE bring charges.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:21 pmThere is no end to the stupidity that is the GDumbya administration.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pmTREASON
THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF TREASON TO THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COUNTRY AND SHE BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN “IDEOLOGY” AND A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT OVERTAKES COMMON SENSE.
SHE IS A GWBUSH MINION………..IE., IDIOT.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:24 pmDidn’t Goodling testify under immunity. Why would they grant immunity if they aren’t going to go after the other parties involved in this crime?
July 28th, 2008 at 12:24 pmlike a chapter from 1984.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:27 pmKind of gives doubt to this administration’s dedication to the ‘war on terror’ when effectiveness is trumped by party affiliation.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:27 pmBorat pegged it:
“Bush’s war OF terror”.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:30 pmI know I said that incompetence works for Republicans, but I have to consider the complementary explanation that it also serves their purpose in enriching “free-market” Republicans at the expense of the taxpayer.
There’s no moral objection — since they have no respect for the work of government to begin with, they feel justified in ripping it off.
PLUS it furthers their political goals. So it’s a win-win.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:30 pmloyalty = everything.
experience = nothing.
*
thank you.
#
July 28th, 2008 at 12:31 pmFrosty Cupcake Says:
And to top it all off, she looks just like all the other women in this administration (minus Rice) – like Fox News “anchors”.
What’s up with that? It’s really weird.
Yea Frosty,
I call them the Faux Blonde Bimbo Brigade (TM). ALl you need is to be female, blonde and either stoo-pid or willing to whore out to BushCo and to Rupert.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pmNeed to change the name: Department of Injustice
July 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pmAnother ’shining’ example of Regent U’s graduates.
What a legacy that school has created in the past 8 years!
July 28th, 2008 at 12:35 pmElsa, the she-wolf of the SS.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:36 pmHey, she’s blond, white and Aryan…
… give her a break. [/snark]
and likely screws like a 2×4…
on the matter of the fate of those hired by monica, and other associated issues, I’ve offered some thoughts.
.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:36 pmLook on the bright side. Perhaps Ms. Goodling will be the Canary that sings.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:38 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
The way Goodling did her job was clearly wrong, and I hope she gets what’s coming to her as a result of her misusing her position.
But does anyone here believe that the politicization of the Justice Department begins and ends with Goodling? I will be outraged if she is made the sole scapegoat.
Her position, and the fact that she wasn’t qualified for it, suggests a preplanned scapegoat strategy, if the hiring practices were ever discovered.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:40 pmMarcus Aurelius Says:
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Elsa, the she-wolf of the SS.
I have a nice condition of the cinema poster. Do you know what if any value it has?
July 28th, 2008 at 12:42 pmThese fruitcakes have taken control of the GOP and turned it into a cult.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:44 pmMonica Goodwench is a typical neoclown scumbag. 10 to 1 she has “party before country” tattooed in reverse across her forehead to remind her of her “duty” every morning before she applies her makeup. And the 20% still scream,”WAAHHHPppppublicans are strong on keeping us safe”. Not according to this little morsel they ain’t
July 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pmThe irony probably is, Ms. Goodling’s neo-christo-fascism and incompetence aside, behind closed doors I’d bet she as big a nymphomaniac as one could find.
¶ AIO
July 28th, 2008 at 12:47 pmthe Lone Voice of Reason Says:
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Wow. Another example of Republican policy keeping us saver than the Democrats can.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Just like on 9/11………….
July 28th, 2008 at 12:48 pmAnother case of the Bush gang putting politics before what’s best for the country.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:49 pmNo wonder they’ve created such an epic mess.
Wow just when you think nothing these people do could surprise you….
July 28th, 2008 at 12:49 pmThis is a tidbit I will have to keep in ind the next time a braindead Bush loyalist tells me this administration has kept the country safe from terrorism.
I will ask them to explain to me how selecting officials based solely on their political affiliation and/or sexual orientation can make the country any safer…
July 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pmThe party is the state. Can you not understand the goal of the permanent Republiscum majority?
July 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pmShe was given immunity right? I’m sure we’ll soon find out that she alone was responsible for these illegal hiring practices. Case closed. Nothing to see here.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:53 pmtexaslady:
I think these things show up on background checks. Said prosecutor’s wife was a known Democrat – easy enough to discover. Likewise any clubs anyone belongs to that would be listed on a resume (Sierra Club would be a big giveaway, for example).
upside: Yeah that’s what Hubby calls them!
July 28th, 2008 at 12:57 pmWhat tbone said.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:57 pmWe must ensure that the Democratic party takes control of the White House and both houses of Congress. The depth of destruction to our system of government will not be discovered otherwise, and I dread what a Cheney/McCain Supreme Court would accomplish.
Stop them now, stop them hard, and stop them permanently.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:58 pmFrosty,
Your hubby is a wise man! :-)
July 28th, 2008 at 1:00 pmPerino’s gonna have to give Goodling a good spanking, and it’s gonna have to be shown on C-Span. Ya hear that, C-Span!?!!
July 28th, 2008 at 1:01 pmGoodling should go to jail for a long time.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:03 pmHussein McCain Says:
Perino’s gonna have to give Goodling a good spanking, and it’s gonna have to be shown on C-Span. Ya hear that, C-Span!?!!
EWWWWW!! Kinky! Ya think little Dana ‘Puppy Chow’ Purina is up to the task?
July 28th, 2008 at 1:03 pmLooks like a great resume. Exxon would hire her on the spot.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:08 pmtbone Says:
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She was given immunity right? I’m sure we’ll soon find out that she alone was responsible for these illegal hiring practices. Case closed. Nothing to see here.
I believe your right about the immunity. Will that hold up? Hopefully not when perjury is involved.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:08 pm50. upside99
July 28th, 2008 at 1:09 pmI like to think she is.
Dana would probably misinterpret the instruction, and think it’s really a serious punishment.
She’d wear her most dignified business suit, and be puzzled when Monica came out on stage in a lace teddy and garters.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:12 pmSo the Repugs have their own Monica-gate. Of course, to them consensual oral sex is much worse than screwing the country.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:16 pmOf course. To them, there’s nothing perverted about screwing the country.
That’s how they’re taught to show their love.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:18 pmProof positive that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the Baath Party and the Republican Party.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pmI’ll be dipped in shit, at last we have a thread that is so toxic that even the sycophant trolls won’t touch it.
Come on btches, defend your Party! KKKarl is going to be mighty pissed.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:33 pmAPEC not OPEC:
It says in the earlier thread that she admitted during testimony that she “crossed a line” when hiring. If she testified that she acted inappropriately, it may be tough to suggest she perjured herself. I don’t remember the details of her testimony though, and I am certainly not a lawyer.
Unfortunately, the cynic in me says this will not go much further.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:51 pmSounds like Monica is kinda treasony. I agree. Get a rope.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm“She’s a naughty girl,a very naughty girl!”
July 28th, 2008 at 2:54 pmMiss Goodie Two-Shoes had an evil bent didn’t she?
July 28th, 2008 at 2:56 pmIn her self-righteous christian mind, she had no idea that she was breaking the law, right?
Re #2: pax says:
Pax, you answered your own question — Goodling got the position because she was so unqualified. A qualified person would never have done the things that Goodling was expected to do.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:15 pmCronyism–just another service that BushCorp offers.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pmcheck out these headlines on the googlenews page:
Gonzales Aides Broke Laws in Hiring, Report Concludes
New York Times – 1 hour ago
By ERIC LICHTBLAU Senior aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales broke the law by using politics to guide their hiring decisions for a wide range of important department positions, slowing the hiring process at critical times and damaging the …
Audit: Gonzales-Era DOJ Played Politics ABC News
Justice Officials Repeatedly Broke Law on Hiring, Report Says Washington Post
abc delivers… what?
…
TP, why did you change the picture of this criminal bimbo???
what’s with the flattering?
July 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pmIt’s public record. You can look it up at the local courthouse or office of registrar or something like that. It happens. There’s rumors that the small (and very red) town I grew up in (and I much later learned that my home state overall is actually blue) that certain employers will look you up and the letter next to your name does matter when choosing which applicant will get the job. Supposed to be illegal, but happens anyway in some places. Some people register as R’s just so they’re considered employable there even if they don’t feel themselves to truely be an R. My dad insisted our family all be R’s and thus I registered as R when I was old enough, and didn’t really even know what it meant, what a D was or what they stood for or how they differed from Rs. I don’t agree with how Dubya and friends are running the place, but I continue being registered as an R anyway.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pmArrest her, try her, convict her, incarcerate her. It’s also time to file bar complaints where she is licensed to practice.
July 28th, 2008 at 7:48 pmWhen will Goodling’s prosecution begin??????
July 28th, 2008 at 7:55 pm…and was grossly unqualified for the position.
Heh…pretty much describes 99.8456% of the current administration, starting with Bush.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:31 pmI remember watching Monica Goodling’s testimony before Congress several months ago. When it was pointed out that something she admitted doing was illegal, her response was “I didn’t mean to…”
Isn’t that the excuse everyone who breaks the law should be able to use? That either they didn’t know what the law was or that they didn’t mean to break the law?
Putting someone like Monica Goodling who has such a low level of understanding the basic concepts of the United States justice system in a high position at the Department of Justice is like giving her a job as chief heart surgeon at a prestigious hospital. No wonder the United States is in cardiac arrest.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:38 amThere is absolutely nothing new here. We learned all this during the Goodling testimony, under immunity. Is anyone here of the belief that justice is being served? You know, the right to a speedy trial should also include the rights of the victims, we, America, the bill abused payers.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:23 pmThat’s the Abused bill payers..
August 21st, 2008 at 10:24 pm