Bush appointees DELIBERATELY threatened national security for political purposes.

[kpete]

In addition, we determined that Goodling often used political or ideological affiliations to select or reject career attorney candidates for temporary details to Department offices, including positions in EOUSA that had not been filled by political appointees. Goodling’s use of political considerations in connection with these details was particularly damaging to the Department because it resulted in high-quality candidates for important details being rejected in favor of less-qualified candidates. For example, an experienced career terrorism prosecutor was rejected by Goodling for a detail to EOUSA to work on counterterrorism issues because of his wife’s political affiliations. Instead, EOUSA had to select a much more junior attorney who lacked any experience in counterterrorism issues and who EOUSA officials believed was not qualified for the position.

http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0807/final.pdf
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/28/11387/7906/185/558158
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/07/28/the-monica-goodling-report/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/justice_politics