# Bill Maher 4/13/2006 - Bush appoints lawyers from Pat Robertson's Law School **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 19, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806 "2007-04-19T17:08:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/81 "2007-04-23T19:15:21Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] I hope you find some, I really do, because a systematic policy of discrimination would be illegal, but I suspect it’ll wind up like most of the Left’s accusations of conspiracy against Bush and the Republicans; full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. [/QUOTE] Look, we **know** this Administration engaged in a criminal conspiracy to get us into a war based on lies; that’s no secret any longer. That does not necessarily implicate them in any other conspiracies, but it does make their guilt more plausible. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/82 "2007-04-23T21:01:46Z")
**WeirdDave** > [@](#): > > People who went to Regent University may not be the most qualified people in the world (then again they may, a person’s ability is not necessarily measured by his or her schooling), but are they unqualified? If they are, THAT is where the outrage should come from Well then, why didn’t Monica Goodling hire a Regent University graduate to defend her? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/83 "2007-04-23T21:24:00Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] I guess that leaves you with the task of providing the proof for the allegations that you made in your last post. I eagerly await. I hope you find some, I really do, because a systematic policy of discrimination would be illegal [/quote] Try [here](http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=262), then: > [@](#): > > Many employees within the Department’s litigating divisions are sitting quietly by, hoping that you will investigate what has happened to the Attorney General’s Honors Program and even the Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP). You are surely aware that the Attorney General’s Honors Program has a long history of hiring top students from a variety of law schools, and it is the only way that young lawyers are able to come into the Department immediately after law school. This year the divisions once again pored over applications and resumes, choosing students to interview who demonstrated not only excellent grades but a real interest in the areas of law they might be hired to work in. After choosing potential candidates to interview, the division personnel forwarded their lists to the Office of Attorney Recruitment Management for what was traditionally final approval. This is no longer a final step, however, because the list had to go higher - to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. When the list of potential interviewees was returned this year, it had been cut dramatically. > > \ > > When division personnel staff later compared the remaining interviewees with the candidates struck form the list, one common denominator appeared repeatedly: most of those struck form the list had interned for a Hill Democrat, clerked for a Democratic judge, worked for a “liberal” cause, or otherwise appeared to have “liberal” leanings. Summa cum laude graduates of both Yale and Harvard were rejected for interviews. So, who in the Bush Administration is willing to get up on the stand, and testify under penalty of perjury that this didn’t happen? (Hell, is anyone denying it _without_ such strictures? I’ve just heard crickets.) > [@](#): > > but I suspect it’ll wind up like most of the Left’s accusations of conspiracy against Bush and the Republicans; full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. I’m curious about what conspiracies you’re talking about. Conspiracy to skew the pre-war evidence of WMDs and Saddam-AQ connection? Conspiracy to lie about the reasons for going to war? Conspiracy to spy on Americans? Conspiracy to make a lot of noise about catching terrorists, then having to let them go, or try them on lesser charges, or just hold them forever at Gitmo without much evidence against them? Conspiracy to suppress the vote amongst Democratic-leaning demographic groups and in Democratic-leaning areas? Conspiracy to hire and fire U.S. attorneys based on the partisan orientation of those they were investigating and indicting? I’m sure I’ve overlooked a few. If you feel like arguing this one, I’d be delighted to open up a new thread on the topic. Just say the word. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/84 "2007-04-23T23:35:10Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Write your Congresscritter. What else is there to be done? [/QUOTE] Suggest to the President that it’d give his popularity a boost if he took a tour of Dallas? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/85 "2007-04-24T05:24:39Z")
**RTFirefly** That is quite a research job you did there. This part of that quote is very interesting: > [@](#): > > with the candidates struck form the list, one common denominator appeared repeatedly: most of those struck form the list had interned for a Hill Democrat, clerked for a Democratic judge, worked for a “liberal” cause, or otherwise appeared to have “liberal” leanings. Summa cum laude graduates of both Yale and Harvard were rejected for interviews. In this administration, being Christian and conservative are highly regarded, but it seems the deepest reverence and respect is for mediocrity and incompetence. As Voyager said in posting #2: > [@](#): > > Bad managers look for people dumber than they are, so they can feel good about themselves. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/86 "2007-04-24T10:21:45Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] **RTFirefly** That is quite a research job you did there. [/QUOTE] The Speaker’s blog is more than occasionally interesting these days. 🙂 But take note that this isn’t proof of wrongdoing; this is a letter from a group of anonymous career Justice employees who are unhappy with the state of affairs. However, what **Weirddave** said was “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be upset about.” This would be it. The only question is, is it true, or just some bozos making something up? It could still be some bozos making something up. But it’s consistent with the rest of the news coming out of the Ministry of Justice these days. And given the track record of this Administration, I’d cheerfully put a bet down on this one’s being backed by something more solid. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/87 "2007-04-24T11:53:41Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] In this administration, being Christian and conservative are highly regarded, but it seems the deepest reverence and respect is for mediocrity and incompetence. [/QUOTE] I’d say the \*deepest \* reverence etc. is for personal loyalty to The Decider. But it does require mediocrity, and often incompetence, to be that way. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/88 "2007-04-26T19:20:37Z")
The real problem here is that so many of these appointees are civil service – which will make it that much harder for the next administration to purge them, as it should. Can anyone see a way around this? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/89 "2007-04-26T19:41:37Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] equally inept and unqualified die-hard God-fearing Chrisitian people no less. Seriously, has he appointed anybody to anything who wasn’t a good Christian? [/QUOTE] I don’t think he has appointed very many **good** Christians. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/90 "2007-04-26T20:02:38Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] The real problem here is that so many of these appointees are civil service – which will make it that much harder for the next administration to purge them, as it should. Can anyone see a way around this? [/QUOTE] IIRC, most, if not all, appointees are political in nature and will thus be gone when Shrub is. Even if they’re not, I can’t imagine them sticking around after Shrub leaves, since there’ll be a _lot_ of pressure by people who know what the hell they’re doing to get rid of the idjits. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/91 "2007-04-26T20:09:49Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] The real problem here is that so many of these appointees are civil service – which will make it that much harder for the next administration to purge them, as it should. Can anyone see a way around this? [/QUOTE] One good thing about a bloated government is that there are plenty of places you can put someone just to get them out of the way. I am getting a picyure in my head of Rob Schneider as “Copy Machine Boy”. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/92 "2007-04-26T21:00:58Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] IIRC, most, if not all, appointees are political in nature and will thus be gone when Shrub is. Even if they’re not, I can’t imagine them sticking around after Shrub leaves, since there’ll be a _lot_ of pressure by people who know what the hell they’re doing to get rid of the idjits. [/QUOTE] It’s hard to get rid of idjits if they’re in civil-service jobs. They may get pressured, but they’ll interpret it as persecution for the Lord’s sake, and will count it a badge of honor. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/93 "2007-04-26T21:02:12Z")
[QUOTE=Harborwolf] I’m not a fan of Bush, Pat Robertson, or religion as a whole really, but what the president has done is neither the worst thing he’s done in office nor is it at all surprising that his administration would consider religion to be a deciding factor for employment. I’m not saying that it’s right, but I find it to be far from outrage worthy. More in the neighborhood of disappointing. [/QUOTE] It’s illegal, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/94 "2007-04-26T21:11:23Z")
Ditto what **BG** said about outrage fatigue. At this point, I mainly hope this aspect of this particular fuckup stays in the news. IMO, Pat Robertson speaks to a rather narrow sector at a far end of the electorate. I think many Christians of both parties would be at least mildly troubled by the idea of an ideologue of any stripe intentionally seeking - and being provided - access to influence the administration in this manner. If not illegal, there is at least an element of “secrecy” or underhandedness, in what appears to be giving favoritism to people who will help tilt things in your favor. **Wierdave** says “What’s the big deal? He’s just hiring folks who agree with him.” I must have missed it when Bush openly identified as a follower of Pat Robertson, or announced an intention to hire excessively from what strikes me as a very far end of the spectrum. Instead I thought I heard crap about intending to be “a uniter not a divider.” If nothing else, this should wake up the countless voters who threw up their hands and voted for Bush saying, “He seems like a sincere guy, someone I’d like to have a beer with. And BTW, how much can one individual screw things up anyway?” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/95 "2007-04-26T21:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] It’s hard to get rid of idjits if they’re in civil-service jobs. [/QUOTE] Just saying, us civil-service idjits like it that way! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/96 "2007-04-26T21:13:50Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] It’s hard to get rid of idjits if they’re in civil-service jobs. They may get pressured, but they’ll interpret it as persecution for the Lord’s sake, and will count it a badge of honor. [/QUOTE] Yes, but when that pressure comes from Congress (who’re being told by the rank and file what idjits their bosses are), it’s a little hard for the Lord to intervene on their behalf, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/97 "2007-04-27T00:25:57Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Yes, but when that pressure comes from Congress (who’re being told by the rank and file what idjits their bosses are), it’s a little hard for the Lord to intervene on their behalf, for some reason. [/QUOTE] The Lord doesn’t have to, if they’re in career civil service positions (i.e. not political appointees, which is why it would be illegal if proven true), and haven’t totally screwed the pooch on the job. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/98 "2007-04-27T00:30:21Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] The Lord doesn’t have to, if they’re in career civil service positions (i.e. not political appointees, which is why it would be illegal if proven true), and haven’t totally screwed the pooch on the job. [/QUOTE] Well, if they’re Bush toadies . . . ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/99 "2007-04-27T00:37:07Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Well, if they’re Bush toadies . . . [/QUOTE] … they’d need stepladders to screw the pooch, wouldn’t they? I suppose a Halliburton subsidiary could provide the necessary equipment for a modest profit. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806/100 "2007-04-27T00:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy] … they’d need stepladders to screw the pooch, wouldn’t they? I suppose a Halliburton subsidiary could provide the necessary equipment for a modest profit. [/QUOTE] Actually, I was thinking that it was pretty much a given that they _would_ screw the pooch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-4-13-2006-bush-appoints-lawyers-from-pat-robertsons-law-school/400806.md?page=6)