When DOJ Office of Public Affairs press harpy Tracy Schmaler tells Ryan Reilly of TPM Muckraker to jump, he asks how high. Today is no different now that TPM Muckraker is the vehicle for the politicized leak that Florida is going to be sued by DOJ because Florida is purging ineligible voters. TPM has the inside scoop from Schmaler that Florida is going to be sued.
This is disgraceful on so many levels.
Let’s start with the fact during the Bush administration, DOJ wouldn’t announce that a lawsuit was coming until it sent a notice letter to the target. They wouldn’t publicize the notice letter, generally, giving the target time to consider and possibly settle the matter. The Obama policy of leaking lawsuits to twenty-something bloggers shows the depths of politicized gamesmanship in which this DOJ is willing to engage.
Schmaler’s handling of the Office of Public Affairs reminds one Tracey Ullman’s out-of-place character in Small Time Crooks. Her talents are more suited to Tammany Hall, not the DOJ.
Second, this outrageous announcement has a top down feel. That is, the political people ordered a lawsuit and the career staff, like Elise Shore, are frantically drawing up the documents, looking for typos and pulling late nights to get it done.
Thirdly, Ryan Reilly and Charlie Savage have become the chief mouthpieces of the government, defending Holder and printing whatever needs to be printed. The politicization of their reporting is surpassed only by the politicization of the Justice Department.
January 2013 can’t come soon enough.
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