The U.S. Attorney Scandal

Some of our crankier commenters (you know who you are) have been razzing me this week about the lightness of my posts. While it's true I haven't been tending to the Swamp so much, my other duties around here--yes, I have them--have been keeping me pretty busy.

In the upcoming issue of dead-tree TIME, we have this story about Alberto Gonzales and the implications of partisanship at the Justice Department. The nut graf:

Did Gonzales, the consummate George Bush loyalist, politicize the workings of one of the most sensitive and traditionally independent agencies in government, the Department of Justice (DOJ)? While it's true the President has always picked an ally to run the department and populated its upper echelons with political appointees, the bureaucracy has fiercely guarded a unique and proud tradition of insulating from partisanship those who are charged with making sure that the laws of this country are fairly and evenly enforced. Though every Attorney General has faced pressure to use the DOJ's awesome power to punish the President's enemies and help his allies, critics inside the department and out say Gonzales has yielded to it more than most.

Separately, I also wrote this week's cover story. I'll post a link when it becomes available.

Then, I think I'll take a nap.