Changes in the Civil Rights Division

Just three days after our series Bush League Justice exposed the dismal record of this Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, in particular the voting rights section, now we learn that the head of that division, John Tanner, is "resigning" effective immediately. For weeks, civil rights advocates had been calling for his ouster. We're glad to see that somebody is finally listening, but this is just the first step.

As we discussed, from 2001 to 2006, not one voting discrimination case was brought on behalf of African-American voters. New hires to the division were evaluated on their loyalty to far-right conservative principles and encouraged to fight cases of religious, rather than racial, discrimination. Tanner and his team twisted the voting section's goals by focusing on alleged voter fraud cases that target minorities rather than protecting them. He even once made the absurd comment that a Georgia law, pushed forward by Republicans, which required voters to have photo IDs would affect whites more because "minorities don't become elderly the way white people do: They die first."

Tanner is now celebrating his accomplishments in an e-mail to his staff. We are not going to allow this effort to distort his record to go unchallenged as they send him to another, far less high-profile Justice Department job. There were also questions swirling about Tanner's travel on the taxpayer dime. So why is he landing another job in the department?

On Monday we will extend our Bush League Justice series to address a number of important issues relating to Tanner and the department. We want to ensure that the new attorney general selects a replacement ready to fight for the very people that the voting section, and the Civil Rights Division in general, was designed to protect. This is an opportunity for Attorney General Michael Mukasey to demonstrate that he is serious about civil rights and prepared to start eliminating the stink of partisanship that has permeated this once-apolitical department.

As we completed our Bush League Justice series this week, we promised that we would be watching. We are, and we will, and so Bush League Justice is back on Monday. See you then.

This post first appeared on Dan Abrams' blog on MSNBC.com.

Comments

[pdrew]

Way to go.
I watch you and keith every night. I love that you put these people on notice that someone is watching.
Please keep up the fight.

Great job @ MSNBC. Please put Tucker out of his misery as well as Matthews. Bring on David Shuster. he is outstanding.
put matthews as a political coverage man. its all he wants to talk about.
thank you.

[mommadona]

NEVER underestimate what a group of dedicated journalists can do...before lunch.

String those stinkin' chickens, dear.

[ebbasta]

Good work, Dan. But, as you know, none of this would have gotten so far if not for the republican apologists in congress who did not lift a finger or otherwise investigate bush, or even threaten to, thus encouraging him and prez cheney do whatever they felt like.

[naschkatze]

Dan, we don't get MSNBC, but I was able to see the videos of your series on C & L. That was excellent journalism. I wonder how many people are aware that the Civil Rights Division was turned into a body to break down separation of church and state instead? Turned on its head! Please keep on doing what you are and please try to get coverage on the networks.

[gardenbookie]

CHIGUY:
"This depraved, bastardized administration revolts me beyond description."
I agree.

"Anyone that voted to put these people in place should be ashamed."
I disagree.

A Congress that permits this administration to continue should be ashamed.

[nihilon x]

"As we discussed, from 2001 to 2006, not one voting discrimination case was brought on behalf of African-American voters."

Rather than simply giving praise to this journalist for bringing this issue to the forefront, how about we discuss the actual issue itself?

I find it strange that so many people will argue with me on the issue of racism, claiming that it is not something that is truly relevant in the modern day and age...

...and yet when it is shown that the government did absolutely NOTHING to address the MANY concerns of African-American voters in the recent elections (elections where their votes could have kept or removed Bush from office) almost NO ONE actually sees any need to discuss the matter.

Very sad, very telling.

[oldtree]

bush league justice isn't a show that you can cancel now is it?

[GoLeftGoDeep]

Keith Olbermann was the only reason I watched evening news, now I've added Dan Abrams. Finally, REAL NEWS rather than the conservative political correctness that oozes from the other stations

[bvb720]

Writing on Huffington is a good job for you Mr. Abrams. As far as MSNBC. You are going down with the ship. They are a failing network.

And you are in the top of the bottom of their ratings. Good job.

[Jjc2006]

I guess it's better late than never that you, Mr. Abrams and the NBC Bush lapdogs are waking up. Unfortunately many lives have been lost, many people are struggling to survive in this government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.

Bush would not be in office ever if you guys had been honest reporters years ago. MSNBC and NBC did a hatchet job on Al Gore, and it is clear how biased the network is. But then, Jack Welch, billionaire right winger and lover of all thing wealthy and powerful hired the likes of Matthews and Russert.

The only good thing on MSNBC is Keith Olberman. Oh don't get me wrong, I think your series to out the crooked republicans is a good thing....but sadly a little late for the dead soldiers, the dead men, women, and children of Iraq, a little late for the poor here who are losing everything, a little late for the Alabama ex governor languishing in jail, a little late Valerie Plame's career....all because scumbags like Rove, Libby, Bush and Cheney were given a total pass by the press.

When people like Brian Williams and you other colleagues give kudos to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, give air time to the likes of Anne Coulter and Laura Ingraham it is clear. Ratings, money and your status as millionaire pundits matter more than the democracy of this country.

For years, I taught children (forty years as an educator) that one thing that made American great, made our democracy work, was a FREE and INDEPENDENT PRESS. I believed that for most of my life. Now, I feel I have to find all the children I taught and tell them it is NO LONGER TRUE, that the press has become an arm of government.

Maybe that will change. Maybe your efforts now are proof. Sadly, I cynically see this as no more than the you all seeing the writing on the wall and an effort to keep viewers for ratings, wealth and power.

[ChiGuy]

The continued perpetration of discrimination of minorities is a trademark and apparent badge of honor for the largely white Republicans, and should be eradicated from the government permanently.

This depraved, bastardized administration revolts me beyond description.

Anyone that voted to put these people in place should be ashamed.

[HeevenSteven]

I'm glad you finally have a real job again instead of the celebrity scandal du jour stuff.

I don't know if NBC is finally waking up or if it's just that they're trying to fashion MSNBC as the anti-FOX, but it works for me. Thanks!

[marylizz]

Dan, Like what you are doing with your new show. Agree with many on "Dump Tucker!" But at the same time he does show his arragance and ignorance and at least msnbc gives two views. Chris Matthews is getting too hyper. Geez! Also dump the killer and prison shows. Yikes. I love Keith but get sick of the Billo jabs. A few minutes a night is ok but not all thru the show. (Even tho Billo deserves it.)
Keep up the good work. Keep telling it like it is.
ps, Can that girl Alex do something about her little girl screeching and take voice training and moderate her voice. Get's on my nerves.
Just a thought. Her sentences keep ending on a high note with a ?.

[wrabbitt]

Just another direction away from the real issues. Trust, health care, taxes,do nothing congress, pork projects that just keep going on and on, government ratings at the lowest level ever! Mortgage meltdown, economy coming to a screeching halt, not just slowing, and Civil rights is not high on my list, our legal system has been broken too long, it does more to protect the rights of criminals than Victims. And , color don't matter you just need a good liar, sorry i spelled lawyer wrong again.

[bpfactor]

as in the 2000 Presidential voting debacle in Florida where the civil rights of black Americans had supposedly been usurped and a comnnission of so called prominent black leaders , despite not finding one black voter who really, and i mean really, had thier voting ringhts impinged, again you prove that the left doesnt need evidence to accuse then condemn