The Case of the Missing US Attorneys

Under the radar? Yup. Contrary to the principles on which our country was founded? Roger. Ripe stench of corruption? Checkarooney. Joe Conason takes a look at the story-- which has been receiving sporadic attention on the blogs (including this one) for at least a month now, but the best we can probably do is add it to the long list of things they should have been thrown out of office for, but weren't.

Under any circumstances, the Bush administration's sudden, explicitly political dismissal and replacement of United States attorneys in judicial districts across the country would be very troubling -- both as a violation of American law enforcement traditions and as a triumph of patronage over competence.

But as the story behind these strange decisions unfolds, a familiar theme is emerging. Again, the White House and the Justice Department have been exposed in a secretive attempt to expand executive power for partisan purposes. And again, their scheming is tainted with a nasty whiff of authoritarianism.

Awwww, c'mon, Joe. Just say 'putrid blast of fascism.' You know you want to. This is a must-read.