Goodling ‘frowned’ when applicant said he admired Condi Rice: ‘But she’s pro-choice.’

Today’s Justice Department report — which faults department aide Monica Goodling for “violating federal law” through politicized hiring practices — reveals Goodling’s bizarre and thorough way of ensuring she hired only the most tried and true conservatives. Besides asking applicants, “Why are you a Republican?” or “What is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?”, Goodling also judged applicants by asking them to name public officials they admired:

Several candidates interviewed by Goodling told us they believed that her question about identifying their favorite Supreme Court Justice, President, or legislator was an attempt to determine the candidates’ political beliefs. For example, one candidate reported that after he stated he admired Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Goodling “frowned” and commented, “but she’s pro-choice.”

The report noted that Goodling refused to hire one Assistant U.S. Attorney because she thought he was a “‘political infant’ who had not ‘proved himself’ to the Republican Party by being involved enough in political campaigns.”