"The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants" - Albert Camus

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Injustice Department

The New Black Panther voter intimidation case is seemingly going nowhere but don't expect it to wither on the vine either in an election year.  It's implications on the integrity of our democracy are just too overwhelming and the public is well aware of it despite the media's best efforts to bury the story. 

First, there is the sworn testimony by a DOJ attorney corroborated by other evidence that an Obama political appointee actually told the career staff that (1) no voting cases would be filed against black or other minority defendants no matter how egregious their violations of the law and (2) Justice Department would not enforce Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to maintain the accuracy of their voter registration lists by cleaning off ineligible voters (3 months before a national election!!!).

Also, criticism has come not only from the right but the Civil Rights Commission over the stonewalling of the Administration. 

They have watched incredulously as the Justice Department, our chief law enforcement agency, has refused to comply with subpoenas from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. They have watched Republican members of Congress demand information about this inexcusable conduct, while Democrats have blocked any action to investigate it. This in stark contrast to Democrats’ manufactured anger over the firing of a handful of U.S. Attorneys during the Bush administration, a non-scandal the Justice Department just dismissed after it concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing in political appointees who serve at the discretion of the president being let go at the discretion of the president.

There can be no worse and more dangerous abuse of power than having a Justice Department where politics and ideology drive law enforcement decisions.

American voters have noticed this, and in contrast to the pseudo-scandals about the Justice Department that were manufactured by Democrats and their JournoList allies during the prior administration, this is a real one that damages the integrity and reputation of the administration and it’s Justice Department.

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