Obama Team Faces Major Task In Justice Dept Overhaul

As a transition team for the Obama administration begins work on a Justice Department overhaul, the key question is where to begin.

Political considerations affected every crevice of the department during the Bush years, from the summer intern hiring program to the dispensing of legal advice about detainee interrogations, according to reports by the inspector general and testimony from bipartisan former DOJ officials at congressional hearings.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[twofish]

I'm envisioning a fire hose, flushing out every nook and cranny in the building. Everyone should go, from Atty. General to the person who empties the waste baskets.

Reappointing some of the people Bush fired, like David Iglesias and the woman from SoCal (Lee?), both Republicans but with their integrity intact, would go a long way toward removing the taint of "partisanship." The right wing gasbags will yell it anyway, but they would if Obama appointed Cheney as Atty. General, so he should do the right thing and let them howl.

[lioness99]

While they're overhauling the DOJ, please take a look at Dept. of Homeland Security. Can't its functions be merged into DOJ and other intelligence agencies? HS should become a dinosaur.

[jgrh]

Was every single competent person in the Bush administration run down the road? Or did they leave in disgust? They turned the entire DOJ over to religious zealots from fourth tier law schools. Why weren't career justice department people howling in protest? Were they scared? What the hell happened the last 8 years? Did they do one speck of governing? It'sbad enough that the entire world's economy has crashed and we're in two wars. On top of that the Obama administration has to rebuild huge chunks of the government from scratch.

[Gifts]

Don't expect much, take a look at the Democrats record on Justice in the State of Connecticut. A swing door from prison to failed mental health treatments and a billion dollar Department of Child and Family Services run by the Attorney General where one can expect several deaths a year while in State Custody.

[Chris]

Will the dems inveistigate Obama after he fires attorneys?

[naschkatze]

This is something every incoming president gets to do, pick his own people, especially when there is a change in parties. They are required by law to submit their resignations.

[markusmarkus]

That's too complicated an answer for Chris. His type thrives on questions with "yes" and "no" answers. He can ferret out questions that have a "maybe" answer, but that's the edge of his envelope.

[Thinklongterm]

Who are these bozo's suggesting that Obama go easy on all those Bush cronies and not settle old grudges? Either we're a nation of laws or not. Perhaps what they're really saying is that Bush suspended the Constitution for the last 8 years so everyone deserves a pass.

Obama better not let them off the hook! This is on my top ten list of things he'd better not compromise on.

[ThunderclapNewman]

What they're saying is that getting rid of the politicization is more important than revenge, which could poison the water for things that Obama needs to get done.

I'm content to let Obama make the decisions.

He's been right so far on almost all the major issues, and I believe he'll be right on most issues after he's inaugurated.

[kappa08]

No ones looking for "revenge"...but a accountability has to be delivered if we are expected to be a nation of laws.

I take issue with the fact that Obama and Democrats should always be the "bigger person" while we scrum on the floor looking for our teeth the Republicans have been knocking out for a decade. You don't have to be petty about it. However if "change" is to happen it needs to be systemic and not glazed over because we're too worried about "politicizing" what should be RIGHT.

[quiviran]

As to the "expenditure of political capital", I think a clear revelation and prosecution of the crimes against the Constitution and the Country gains political capital, not diminishes it. Americans have an innate sense of right and wrong and a belief in justice. The fact that Scooter Libbys family would have been upset does not excuse him from serving time for the same crime that Martha Stewart was sent to jail for.

[quiviran]

"At a conference in Washington this week, former department criminal division chief Robert S. Litt asked that the new administration avoid fighting old battles that could be perceived as vindictive, such as seeking to prosecute government officials involved in decisions about interrogation and the gathering of domestic intelligence. "

Wonder what this guy is guilty of. Every one of these clowns knew they were breaking the law, that;s why they were so careful to keep their activities secret. Is their defense "I was just following orders"? Or perhaps "Everyone else was doing it". They thought they were going to have a permanent Republican majority to protect them. Just because a crime is not revealed and not prosecuted does not make it not a crime.

Hang 'em high.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

I would like to see Robert Kennedy Jr. take on the role of his father, the symbolism would be great. Robert is qualified for the job, he's honest and could take on voter suppression, a standard Republican operating procedure, corporate fraud, and environmental issues, after he cleans out the Regent University clowns. The Bush justice department can't even argue a terrorism case, there more concerned with winning elections. I would keep the guys who took down Stevens though and Patrick Fitzgerald.

[Bitsko]

As a New Yorker, I know Mr. Kennedy would make an excellent choice of head of the EPA.

[ziggzagg]

I think it would be cosmically just if the new administration appointed David Iglesias and others of the fired USAs to help oversee the reform of Justice. I can't imagine anyone with more incentive to right the wrongs of the recent past.

[MajorKong]

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

[Vere15]

Maybe time for them to probe all the illegal war profits to pay for the bailout!!

[Jtt]

Outstanding - make it happen!

[imusintheevening]

The Justice Department was transformed into an agency for illegal partisan attacks by the Bush Administration, so the first step will be to remove those that have committed criminal acts, then the process of rebuilding can begin.

Those entrusted to uphold the rule of law were told that laws and the Constitution don't apply to them so they have become tyrannical so the 'overhaul' will take a lot of effort.

[Soulsurfer]

If they've been there for less than 10 years, fire'em and let them reapply just like everyone else. Then hire people on their merit, not their party. My guess is none of the Bush appointees will be be back.

[darthdarcy]

It's about time, The Justice Dept. is a disaster, and infested with incompetent sycophants and Federalist Society Tory swine..!

That Dept. is almost as destroyed as The FDA...