“…some vague language that they want to get passed in the FISA legislation that would also absolve them of any crimes relating to their failures to backup or preserve emails and other documents…”

This:

…inserting interest based conclusions often even under the cover indeterminacy.

should be:

…inserting interest based conclusions often even under the cover of indeterminacy.

The only thing that makes sense to me, (with my occupationally limited attention span) is the chase scene where the bad guys are dumping everything out of the car trying to block the view off or slow down the pursuers. The way you know they are bad guys is that they throw one of their own out as well. As he splats on the windshield of the good guys the audience cheers.

‘Problem with that analogy is that if this were a comedy, the good guys catch the bad guys. This situation is, unfortunately, closer to a tragedy, which means they get away, just like real life. (Except Bloch the guy that splattered on the windshield of course).

Although I share the kind of trust some folks are expressing that Fbi might unearth ample evidence in an effort to watch the watchdog, there seems to be a risk, as well, that the administration’s central committee planners are looking for ways to quarantine information before it becomes scandal. Maybe it is only patronage doing what it always does as impending elections hasten the pace of plum bestowals. Since the congress’ extravagant pursuit of all defects of the prior Democratic party president, and congress’ bipartisan relief in the aftermath of that ordeal in letting the IC statute sunset, the SC is the a key remaining bulwark of pseudoimpartiality. Kyl has stepped forth to keep congress from strengthening the IG construct in DoJ. But the depoliticization of many offices after Bush’s act ends will be a chore.

Typical of the Bushco m.o. is this, OT, effort underway in Bloch’s former homestate, to build bombs [300KB] while waiving much of the EIR process. A parallel effort to avoid NEPA is occurring in NM, where one enterprising person has developed a marvelesque comic book style pamphlet enumerating the ways the Bush DOE is attempting to create more nuclear bomb grade fissile material in facilities that were formerly solely r+d, and on inertial timelines that would skip the entire ability of a 4-year presidential term to reverse, though the persistent reader will find the explicit text of the violations and shortcuts inside the graphics there[344KB].

Looking at the present political energy turbulence of the current administration from yet another perspective, though equally environmentally framed, consider this recently published statistical survey of EPA scientists [3MB] showing a majority has had facts doctored, politicized, and squelched during the Bush presidency.

Aside from just attempting to take the extralegal course to achieve profitable ends for industries regulated by doe, the Bloch raid also seemed reminiscent of the tones echoed in this letter from the American Library Association written to the NARA chief regarding announced plans to forego [15KB] the perfunctory snapshot record of all government websites during the approaching transition from Bush to the next administration. ALA takes a fairly rigorous approach to preservation of integrity of records, and is critical of nara’s apparent willingness to sleep on the job, figuratively, during the evening prior to January 20 2009.