The New Republic

You can't make this stuff up.

- alec d

April 26, 2007 at 11:34am

Bradford Plumer- There's also this about Stephen J. Bloch at OSC (who is the Bushie now supposedly investigating Rove) from Elizabeth Williamson in the Washington Post (2-15-07): "The Office of Personnel Management's inspector general has been investigating allegations by current and former OSC employees that Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch retaliated against underlings who disagreed with his policies--by, among other means, transferring them out of state--and tossed out legitimate whistle-blower cases to reduce the office backlog. Bloch denies the accusations, saying that under his leadership the agency has grown more efficient and receptive to whistle-blowers. "The 16-month investigation has been beset by delays, accusations and counter-accusations. The latest problem began two weeks ago, when Bloch's deputy sent staffers a memo asking them to inform OSC higher-ups when investigators contact them. Further, the memo read, employees should meet with investigators in the office, in a special conference room. Some employees cried foul, saying the recommendations made them afraid to be interviewed in the probe. "The OSC's memo, the group said, 'was only the latest in a series of actions by Bloch to obstruct' the investigation. 'Other actions have included suggestions that all witnesses interviewed...provide Bloch with affidavits describing what they had been asked and how they responded.'" So not only is Bloch, as David Corn put it, an "investigator investigating officials who oversee the agency that is investigating the investigator." Bloch is also apparently an investigator who has obstructed the investigation of himself, and is now leading what is most probably a faux investigation of Karl Rove in order to obstruct (or preempt) the investigations that are gearing up in congress.

- JosephCuomo

April 26, 2007 at 1:17pm

Sorry, that should have been (in the first graph of post #2) Scott J. Bloch, not Stephen.

- JosephCuomo

April 26, 2007 at 1:24pm

Then there's Bob Novak's story: "Bush's position, however, may be undermined by an unexpected development this week. It was announced that a little-known agency -- the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, headed by Scott J. Bloch -- has launched an investigation into possible illegal White House political participation in the firing of at least one U.S. attorney. The irony here was not noted in early news accounts. Bloch, a devout Catholic, has been under attack for three years at the independent investigative agency because of his interpretation of statutes covering workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. He also has been publicly accused of hiring too many Catholics. Clay Johnson, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and another Texan brought to Washington by Bush, joined the attack on Bloch, a Bush appointee. The case became a cause celebre on the right when Bloch was told by a prominent Catholic layman close to Bush that it would be better if he resigned." so it's more or less a clusterfuck.

- lluppen

April 26, 2007 at 5:10pm