Things were just as bad at the civil rights division of the Department of Justice as many of us feared.  According to a recent article in the Washington Post, “a former Justice Department official entrusted with enforcing civil rights laws refused to hire lawyers whom he labeled as “commies” and transferred another attorney for allegedly writing in “ebonics” and benefiting from “an affirmative action thing,” according to an investigation released yesterday by internal watchdogs.”

According to a report from the department’s inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility, Bradley J. Schlozman, injected partisan politics into the hiring process.  “Over three years in which he controlled employment decisions, Schlozman favored young conservatives for entry-level jobs, transferred those he called “right-thinking Americans” into top assignments and instructed colleagues that “adherents of Mao’s little red book need not apply,” according to e-mails cited in the report. Authorities analyzed 112 career hires during Schlozman’s tenure and determined that “virtually all” of the lawyers whose political affiliations were known at the time had ties to Republicans or conservative legal groups.”

Schlozman has been accused of lying under oath in his testimony to Congress.  According to the Boston Globe, Eric Holder, the Attorney General designate, has promised to investigate Schlozman if he is confirmed.

This is just one instance in which the fox was been invited to guard the Department Of Justice hen house during the Bush Administration.  The DOJ is supposed to represent the interests of all Americans, not just those of a favored minority.  When hiring policy at the Civil Rights Division is being set by a guy who doesn’t believe in civil rights we’ve got a problem.

While the Obama administration shows little appetite for a thoroughgoing investigation of Bush administration abuses, Paul Krugman at the NYT wants the offenders held accountable.   After cataloguing the manifold sins of ommission and comission (including hiring practices at the DOJ) Krugman has some strong advice for the 44th President:

While it’s probably in his short-term political interests to forgive and forget, next week he’s going to swear to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” That’s not a conditional oath to be honored only when it’s convenient.

And to protect and defend the Constitution, a president must do more than obey the Constitution himself; he must hold those who violate the Constitution accountable. So Mr. Obama should reconsider his apparent decision to let the previous administration get away with crime. Consequences aside, that’s not a decision he has the right to make.