Being a U.S. Attorney Really is a Lot Like an Internship -- Just Resume Padding

by: Matt Singer

Fri Mar 09, 2007 at 14:22:33 PM MST

Two of the fired U.S. attorneys, Daniel Bogden of Las Vegas and Paul K. Charlton of Phoenix, testified before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that Mercer told them they were dismissed to make room for others and not because of performance problems.

Bogden testified that Mercer told him the administration had a "very short, two-year window of opportunity concerning the United States attorney positions" and that "this would be an opportunity to put others into those positions so they could build their résumés and get experience as a United States attorney so that for future possibilities of being federal judges or other political type positions, they could better enhanced to do so."

Mercer, Charlton testified, told him he was being asked to resign so other individuals would have the opportunity to "touch base" as U.S. attorney before the end of the president's term.

Not so much for the Bush Administration, though. See, they've got two years, so now the Department of Justice's job is resume padding for the Young Republicans.

Sen. Arlen Specter is saying that it may be time for a new Attorney General. I think it is time for Bill Mercer's jobs performance (yeah, that's supposed to be jobs plural) to be reviewed.