well, add OSC to GSA and innumerable other agencies/gov't offices turned into arms of the GOP political machine.

I'm starting a betting pool on the first GOP politician to point to this episode as evidence that government just doesn't work.

This TPMM-thread would implicitly attach DOJ OLC, the US Attorney's office, and other DOJ Staff to the grand jury inquiry. Grand Jury has likely scrutinized DOJ JCON database for relevant records, access times, and files.

I find this story somewhat confusing.

Is Bloch a Bush appointee or is he a civil service person who is the target of Bush retaliation or what? It's hard to tell because there are so many twists and turns.

It looks like he's got the right name for the job, i.e., Bloch.

Yes, this guy is a Bush appointee. He's from here in Lawrence, Kansas. This is all so confusing. Wonder if it was embarrassing porn or something like that that he had had illegally scrubbed from his computer. I'm convinced that's how the Bush admin keeps people from speaking out: they have embarrassing info on people (or in this case, are maybe seeking it) that they obtained by warrantless surveilance and which they use to blackmail people into being quiet/complicit in their crimes. I always wonder why Mukasey turned from being what people like Schumer thought was a reasonable guy, to someone so corrupt and helping cover up admin crimes. Do they have some kind of horrible dirt on Mukasey or something?

Isn't this what the special prosecutor law was designed to address?

Back in the good old days when organized crime was called the Mafia instead of the Republicans, different factions were always fighting each other. So, as I see it, nothing has changed except the name. Why would we assume either faction in this instance is "good guys"?

It would be easy if it were just Republicans. Sadly it isn't. The whole Hillary mess is just more of the same. The word honesty isn't in the Washington vocabulary.

Nice way to shut down the DoJ investigation - shut down the investigator, but after a useful time for a solid investigation has passed. Looks like a well-orchestrated way to give lip service to 2 investigations, while doing nothing substantial for either.

Oh, and it kills any whistleblowing activities during the last few months of Bush II's term, which incidentally helps McCain and the Republican Brand before the election.

I just want to see which of them accepts the Heritage Foundation's 2008 Machiavelli in Government award.

This is something I'd expect to read in some Latin American or African country's newspaper about their corrupt government. If Bloch is investigating DoJ and DoJ is investigating Bloch, then someone else not involved in this obviously political battle should be investigating both. The only consistent theme is the FBI continuing its long legacy of conducting politically-motivated investigations for whoever is in the White House, while ignoring minor crimes like torture at DoJ's direction.

From the NPR report by Ari Shapiro:

"But at 10 a.m., the OSC's national e-mail system went down, and the FBI arrived.

A half-dozen FBI agents swarmed into the OSC's Washington offices, grabbing documents and seizing computers. By 1 p.m., more than 20 agents had arrived in the agency's D.C. bureau."

Based on testing's recent post on the OLC computer system, an action of this magnitude probably didn't originate with Mukasey. What's really on those seized hard drives, hmm?

Well now..isn't this special..

http://tinyurl.com/6k5m4n

*****

FBI seizes Doan, Rice case files in raid of OSC chief's office
By Dan Friedman CongressDaily May 7, 2008

About 20 FBI agents and administrative investigators executed search warrants Tuesday on the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in a daylong raid that appeared at least partly focused on finding information on the office's high-profile investigations into alleged illegal political activity by Bush administration officials.
(snip)

But OSC employees said the grand jury subpoenas seek a wide range of information that goes beyond Bloch's deletion of computer files or treatment of agency employees.

Investigators have demanded all files on OSC's investigation last year into allegations of improper political activity by Lurita Doan, the former head of the General Services Administration, who was forced to resign last week by the White House.
(snip)

During Tuesday's raid, investigators did not seek files from the wider Hatch Act probe, but they subpoenaed at least two OSC employees who are part of the unit looking into the suspected political activities. They also sought Bloch's expense and credit card records, information regarding his use of storage facilities or safety deposit boxes and material related to testimony he has delivered at congressional hearings.

In addition, investigators demanded documents related to OSC's investigation into allegations that Secretary of State Rice used federal resources to travel to campaign appearances supporting President Bush's re-election in 2004. Bloch's office closed the case, finding no violation by Rice.