One-third of prosector posts went to Bush insiders

Now this here's news, folks. Big news and you found it here.

About one-third of the nearly four dozen U.S. attorney's jobs that have changed hands since President Bush began his second term have been filled by the White House and the Justice Department with trusted administration insiders.

The people chosen as chief federal prosecutors on a temporary or permanent basis since early 2005 include 10 senior aides to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, according to an analysis of government records. Several came from the White House or other government agencies. Some lacked experience as prosecutors or had no connection to the districts in which they were sent to work, the records and biographical information show.

Why you may ask is this big news? I'll tell you why. That means Bush didn't appoint "loyal Bushies" to about two-thirds of the positions. HE BLEW IT!

Sorry I'm so imprecise there, but I had "About one-third..." and "...nearly four dozen..." as my facts from the story. Why can't the pros do better than that?

read more)

Federal Prosecutors Widen Pursuit Of Death Penalty as States Ease Off

I'm terribly sorry folks, but I just can't see anything Bush and his hyenas are doing with which I agree.

Disclaimer: At one time I was a proponent of the death penalty because I believed it was a deterrent. Gradually I realized it has almost no affect at all on how people behave. Now I'm very much opposed to the state killing people.

At a time when many states are backing away from capital punishment, the federal government is aggressively pursuing -- and winning -- more death sentences, including in jurisdictions that traditionally oppose them.

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors in New York persuaded a jury to give a death sentence to Ronell Wilson, a 24-year-old man convicted of killing two undercover detectives by shooting each in the back of the head. The decision -- the first time in more than 50 years that a federal jury in New York agreed to sentence someone to death -- marked something of a milestone for the Justice Department in its continuing effort to apply the death penalty more evenly across the country. [emphasis mine]

Oh well, I stand corrected. Federal prosecutors are just trying to level the justice playing field. Whatever was I thinking?

(read more)