Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

The role of service by Olson in his deception to Congress and to the public, like that of Laurence Silberman, was to construct a facade to hide the carefully buried truths of the Iran-Contra fiasco.

Both these men's names were touted as leading choices for Bush's next nominee to the post. Silberman staged an intercession in 1980 aimed to stymie Jimmy Carter's negotiations to get our hostages freed from captivity in Tehran in the fall ahead of the election — just so his man Reagan could gain from the impasse and win more votes. The resulting arms-for-hostages award for the release of the men after Reagan was elected was defended strenuously with mistruth by Olson acting as Reagan's personal lawyer.

Fast forward to the 90s. The writing by attorney Theodore Olson of anonymous articles for the Spectator magazine for the Arkansas Project, aiming to smear and destroy the Clinton presidency, is an exquisitely close reminder of the anonymous writings of recent DoJ lawyer Hans von Spakovsky in a legal journal to secretly tout voter ID laws, to advance a law that reliably shaves the vote of poor, elderly, minority (that is, Democratic-leaning) citizens.

That, and falling in love with another woman 1 year after your wife was killed on 9-11, does not qualify you for the post. (Sorry for the low blow, but this man was all about low blows.)

Oh, and there was his role stopping the recount of votes in 2000. In the case Bush v. Gore argued in front of the US Supreme Court, Olson persuaded 5 of the justices that the equal right to have a vote re-counted should trump the equal right to have your vote counted (the first time).  There is overwhelming evidence that people's admission to the polling place and processing of votes across different counties and technologies was vastly unequal in 2000. Still true in 2002, 2004, ..., 2008.

A legacy for justice.  Or perhaps injustice.

This time for attorney general, Bush should set his sights on a lawyer who isn't driven by politics. By that measure this guy doesn't fit the bill. Neither does a senator like Orrin Hatch, who eyes the US judicial system for its partisan possibilities. Let George Bush pick someone who isn't a party enabler. Now that would be a first.