Mr. Mukasey in Denial

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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/opinion/13wed2.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Conservatives like to talk about personal responsibility, but Attorney General Michael Mukasey does not seem to think it applies to the Bush administration. In a speech on Tuesday, he described the shameful politicization of the Justice Department as a “painful” episode in which “the system failed.”

Mr. Mukasey made no mention of the role played by his predecessor, Alberto Gonzales, and other members of President Bush’s inner circle. There is by now strong reason to believe that they were involved in plans to fire United States attorneys for political reasons, fill other important positions on the basis of partisanship rather than competence and order prosecutions designed to help Republicans win elections.

The department has never properly pursued the bad actors. It has shown no real concern for the victims. Mr. Mukasey’s cynical remarks shrugging off the whole scandal should prod Congress to pursue it even more vigorously.

(snip)
As the nation’s top law enforcement officer, Mr. Mukasey should demand that they tell what they know — particularly about the firing of the United States attorneys — and deliver relevant documents. Instead, he has supported their baseless claims of executive privilege.

We opposed Mr. Mukasey’s confirmation because we feared that he would worry more about defending the Bush administration than enforcing the law. His speech to the bar association is further evidence that, like his predecessor, he cares more about politics than justice.

[pansypoo53219]

1. muck is a

bushy.