Java & Fish Wrap 07.29.08

I'm up at the ass end in the morning because I have to make two separate pots of coffee and pray to some kind of Sumerian God that I am not eaten alive by all the Bar takers before they begin that hellish test. Due to our locality we have become Prime Base Alpha and may the Gods have mercy on my soul....

Not trying to stir the pot of any alumni, but when one looks at the colleges of Monica Goodling and Ralph Sampson, both religious schools one I don't believe is accredited, you cannot really blame for knowing something was against the law. After all everything they learned about law comes from a book they got from the Gideons.

In another example of braininess, lawmakers had to negotiate banning toxins in children's items. I wonder how many of these asshats were actually on the side of, hey if the kid can't handle a lil toxin then he shouldn't be playing with toys. Who would really value a company's right on how they produce a product over a child's life? Oh, of course, the President.

With his term almost over, Dubya is doing his best to make his Presidency look like he's Governor of Texas all over again.

When one's last name is Rockefeller and you can afford a 72 foot yacht you'd think you'd have a better course of action then to abduct your own daughter and have the FBI and Coast Guard looking for you.

Anti-Gay Marriage group sues over language change in their ballot initiative. Hey, Project Marriage, it says the same thing it just shows the bigotry and contempt in your hearts so much better.

Bradley says no to VP, even though no one was really considering him.

Cryptic Studios has taken over the creation of the Star Trek MMORPG...and you thought you couldn't get some people out of the house BEFORE.

Don't hold your breath on the new Ghostbusters game anytime soon.

Ryan Seacrest was bitten by a shark over the weekend. No word on whether it was American Idol or any other TV show he is a part of.

I know I am watching this tonight...Jurassic Fight Club.

At least someone is trying to get SayHey's Giants to show some signs of life.

Though we all love watching car chases on Cops or some other Fox show, we rarely see the results of said chases.

Finally, yesterday was the 25th anniversary of what has become known as thePine Tar Incident or the greatest run from a dugout to home plate...ever.

Today's Flickr

by anitalee

Inspector General Finds Hiring Violations at Dept. of Justice

The U.S Attorney hiring and firing scandal took an important twist today, with the Office of the Inspector General issuing a report that found that Republican National Committee lawyer, White House liason to the DOJ, and Alberto Gonzales aide Monica Goodling systematically screened candidates for positions at the DOJ for their political leanings, effectively trying to turn the DOJ into a Republicans-only club. This included screening for political appointees as well as non-political appointees, like immigration judges. You can read the report here. How very illegal of you, Ms. Goodling.

While this is a concrete demonstration of how bad things got at the DOJ under Gonzales, and certainly a blow for the lame-duck Bush Administration, I think the Administration and Gonzales lost this one in the Court of Public Opinion a long, long time ago. Their denials didn't pass the straight face test, as my former Tax prof would say.

But the most surprising thing about this, if anything can surprise you with these folks nowadays, is how outrightly obvious these people were. Part of Goodling's approach would be to interview everyone, necessary or not. In the interviews, the Inspector General report says she'd ask questions so obviously political, right down to the "why are you proud to be a Republican" question, that it's shocking that her cover wasn't blown until now.

So, my immediate question to you is this: were the Democrats completely inept here, or complicit? Discussion in the comments thread.