If you still can’t grasp the importance of the US Attorney scandal, I present to you current US Attorney, and former Bush “opposition research” man, Tim Griffin:
One film scene of the debate-night frenzy captures the prevalent attitude in national politics. As he directs the investigation of Gore’s statements in real time, Griffin, standing next to a sign that reads ON MY COMMAND?UNLEASH HELL (ON AL), pauses for a moment to reflect on his role. “We think of ourselves as the creators of the ammunition in a war,” he says. “We make the bullets.”
Mr. Griffin was appointed US Attorney in December 2006, replacing Bud Cummins. Cummins was apparently a lifetime Republican, and was replaced by Griffin, a clear political hack, in the recent “purge”.
Let me reiterate, it is the President’s right to attempt to staff US Attorney positions with “his people”. I fully expect a new administration to replace attorneys with ones who will place an emphasis on the types of prosecutions consistent with White House policy goals. The problem is that the White House policy goals appear to be entirely political: instead of asking attorneys to, for example, put an emphasis on drug trafficking cases, they are asking attorneys to put an emphasis on protecting Republicans and attempting to prosecute Democrats. That’s clearly political in nature. And it’s clearly wrong.
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