Justice Department sullied by politics

To the Bush administration, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and others for their tacit approval of illegal activities in the hiring of political cronies instead of qualified attorneys.

A report released Monday by the current Republican-lead Justice Department shows that top aides to Gonzalez used political litmus test, in violation of law and Justice Department policy, in the hiring of career prosecutors and immigration judges.

The department’s former White House liaison, Monica Goodling, violated federal law and Justice Department policy by discriminating against job applicants who weren’t Republican or conservative loyalists, according to the report.

It’s a shameful legacy and Bush is ultimately responsible for taking the top law enforcement agency in the United States and turning it into a haven for partisan politics.

Thumbs up to thumbs on wheel

Some laws are written to help people protect them from themselves. The Minnesota law that bans text-messaging while driving is one of those laws. And with several vehicle accidents related to text-messaging reported in this area alone, it’s a good idea the law has been enacted before the number grows (assuming people follow the law, of course).

Good sense just seems to evade some people, who are so used to multi-tasking that they think driving and texting are compatible. A Madelia teen found out last winter that the two don’t mix so well. She ended up crossing the median on Highway 60 and flipping her car. Comments from a handful of university students suggests that texting and driving are not uncommon.