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Marty Kaplan

Marty Kaplan

Posted: July 28, 2008 12:25 PM

"What is it About George W. Bush that Makes you Want to Serve Him?"


That's what former Justice Department counselor Monica M. Goodling and former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson routinely asked applicants for non-political jobs at DoJ. The question, of course, is against the law, as the just-released report by the department's Inspector General points out.

I wonder what kind of answers Monica and Kyle got.

"His rich creamy goodness"?

"His manly manness"?

"That thing he does with signing statements"?

No doubt Federalist Society members knew the right way to reply. But as the Washington Post points out, if you were applying to be, oh, an immigration judge or a line prosecutor, the question could have been a minefield.

In the spirit of fairness, I think it's only fair that future applicants, instead of facing this trick open-ended question, should be offered a fill-in-the-blank option:

"What is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to _____ him?"

Follow Marty Kaplan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/martykaplan

That's what former Justice Department counselor Monica M. Goodling and former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson routinely asked applicants for non-political jobs at DoJ. The question, of course, is agai...
That's what former Justice Department counselor Monica M. Goodling and former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson routinely asked applicants for non-political jobs at DoJ. The question, of course, is agai...
 
 
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11:12 PM on 08/02/2008
Reminds me of the book.

How to serve humans :-)
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JayInDallas
Shredding talking points with facts since 2006
12:42 PM on 07/30/2008
Heckuva job, Marty.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ashabot
Environmentalists are the true Conservatives.
09:52 AM on 07/30/2008
The best fill in the blank question is years.
10:33 AM on 07/29/2008
What is it about George W Bush that makes you want to impeach him.
09:30 AM on 07/29/2008
Thanks for the hearty laugh.
08:43 AM on 07/29/2008
Well, once again ya tickled me professor Kaplan, you're a treasure, thanks.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JDHART
05:45 AM on 07/29/2008
I dunno what it is. Maybe it's that former-cheerleader's swagger of his or the smooth way he talks when he gives one of those great speeches. Maybe it's the way he thinks things through because, gosh darn it, he's such a smart, self-made man. Or maybe it's just that empty feeling I get when I look into his dead eyes. What can I tell you? I've always looked up to ex-drunk/druggies who believe they're on a mission from Jesus. Gives me a warm feeling inside.
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robXdion
Because someone has to say it.
01:31 AM on 07/29/2008
Some people in any given society just have an autocratic view of things. It's a simplistic dumbed down way to see things, but that's how they understand life nonetheless. Bush and neocon Repugs fit this description.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
lisakaz2
Da ministero dell'interno di Snark.
03:28 AM on 07/29/2008
I'd say absolutist, as in Louis XIV.
12:13 AM on 07/29/2008
So long as you work for him to achieve the goal of domination, what other boss will let you do what you want, when you want, how you want, without any accountability or consequences?

Sounds good to me.
06:38 AM on 07/29/2008
mabey if I am a real shining example of amoral incompetence also he will let me help start armagedon?
09:37 AM on 07/29/2008
The fact that evil sounds "good" to anyone proves how far this country has sunk; unless of course you were being tongue-in-cheek.
06:55 PM on 07/29/2008
Tongue firmly in cheek.

But you are correct; things are out of control and sinking. It is a sad commentary that a lot of people would not term any of that as "evil", but they certainly would want to be able to get away with all of it. The negative statements and hatred spewed in these last campaigns are truly disgusting.

I'm no fan of McCain, but what happened to him and his family in 2000 was a disgrace. Fast forward 8 years, and the McCains and their minions are doing the same thing to the Obamas.

Winning at all costs...the American way.
11:32 PM on 07/28/2008
"George W. Bush-- great president or greatest president?" -- Stephen Colbert. It's pretty scary when you can no longer distinguish between a comedy routine, a headline from The Onion, and what's really happening politics.
11:20 PM on 07/28/2008
..

And....count the seconds until goes NOWHERE.

.
11:02 PM on 07/28/2008
"I was Barbara Mandrell when Barbara Mandrell wasn't cool."
09:54 PM on 07/28/2008
Here's a quick summary for the word-averse.
09:24 PM on 07/28/2008
It seems to me that this would be ample means for disbarment. Lets see bush pardon her way out of this. One other thought, didn't regent law school teach their conservobots that government service was for the country and the constitution, not to the people in the offices that they served? Just wondering.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
NotWaldo
08:57 PM on 07/28/2008
They want to serve him because he's the ideal boss. They know he can be outwitted by a jar of marshmallow fluff !