U.S. Attorney McKay was forced out

Reporter Paul Shukovsky has a must-read article in tomorrow's Seattle P-I:

John McKay, the former U.S. attorney for Western Washington, confirmed Wednesday that he was ordered to resign last month and "given no explanation" for a move that critics immediately denounced as politically motivated.

[...]

But one current and one former Justice Department official told the Seattle P-I that McKay and six other U.S. attorneys around the nation were fired by the Bush administration in the last year to make room for up-and-coming Republicans.

Emphasis is mine. Despite all of Bush's talk of bipartisanship, and being a "uniter, not a divider" his administration is by far the most politicized ever. The executive branch, for example, is filled with people who are unqualified to lead and make sound policy decisions. Many are imported from the private sector.

They were picked for their loyalty to Bush and the Republican Party but they aren't capable of making wise, fair, or sensible decisions.

Meanwhile, hardworking individuals like John McKay, who don't do a sloppy, horrible job like some of Bush's other appointees, get forced out because Republican strategists want to manipulate the Justice Department for political gain.

Ultimately, it's about taking over the courts:

[A] Justice Department source said Bush and the Republican Party "wanted to build their bench" by replacing the top prosecutors with younger conservatives to build their résumés and credibility for future positions, including federal judgeships.

Senator Patty Murray is absolutely right when she says Congress and the American people have no tolerance for the politicization of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The higher ups at the Justice Department made a huge mistake. They and Alberto Gonzales are the ones who need to be replaced.