Bush Blocks the Testimony of Former Rove Aide

This post, written by Christy Hardin Smith, originally appeared on FireDogLake

It seems that President Bush has, indeed, invoked “executive privilege” (H/T to twolf1 for the link) to attempt to prevent testimony from former aides regarding the potential WH employee misconduct in politicization worries about the Department of Justice.

Reader WB sent me a link this morning to a poignant opinion piece in the Denver Post” written by a 25-year veteran of the DOJ. Do go and read the whole thing, but this particular bit really jumped out at me:

In more than a quarter of a century at the DOJ, I have never before seen such consistent and marked disrespect on the part of the highest ranking government policymakers for both law and ethics. It is especially unheard of for U.S. attorneys to be targeted and removed on the basis of pressure and complaints from political figures dissatisfied with their handling of politically sensitive investigations and their unwillingness to “play ball.” Enough information has already been disclosed to support the conclusion that this is exactly what happened here, at least in the case of former U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias of New Mexico (and quite possibly in several others as well). Law enforcement is not supposed to be a political team sport, and prosecutorial independence and integrity are not “performance problems.”

I have heard the same over and over again from former — and even current — DOJ employees, some of whom have spoken out publicly and some have not as yet done so. The current Bush Administration is a vindictive lot, and it’s easy to see why some folks — balancing speaking up against a mortgage, paying for junior’s braces, saving for the kids’ college fund, etc., etc. — might not have the nerve to say what they know about misconduct and questionable practices.

But the Libby commutation, from everything I am currently hearing from folks, may just be the disrespectful straw that broke the strawman stranglehold on silence from angry, disgusted, and downright appalled folks at the DOJ.