The story in the NYT reflected politicized hiring of career civil servants in the Justice Department, not firing US Attorneys (which ought to be apolitical but probably never can be completely). What the Bush administration effectively did in this case was to attempt to reinstate the “spoils system” — hopefully something that our nation has been rid of for more than a century.

Bush’s behavior has been reprehensible on many levels that are not related to his being beholden to some pretty terrible people — but I am afraid that on balance the GOP has really covered itself with mud this time, and that it will take something approaching reinvention of the party to redeem it.

All political parties attract bad people who do bad things — it’s the nature of the beast — but what we have seen these past eight years seems to me to be at least an order of magnitude more corrupt and cynical than I can recall in any previous administration regardless of party.

However, I do think that it’s important to realize that McCain cannot be elected without the enthusiastic and generous support of the same folks who brought us the Bushies. It’s hard to imagine that McCain — who, presumably, would honor any deals he had made — would take their money and support and then spit in their eyes.