For the past eight years, the way the U.S. government communicates with citizens – the people who pay for it, and to whom it’s ultimately accountable – has been systematically politicized, corrupted and degraded. Sound over-the-top? Just take the two examples in the news today:

1. A Justice Department spokesman committed misconduct, according to an Inspector General’s report, by lying about the politicization of hiring practies. We know the sad story of Monica “what is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?” Goodling. When a reporter called the DOJ press office to ask about this, John Nowaki called the notion “crap” and wrote up a categorical denial. (Fortunately, no one was dumb enough to sign off on it, so it wasn’t released.) Later, when questioned by investigators, like everyone else, Nowacki admitted the right-wing vetting was going on.

2. The EPA has tightened its grip on career managers, instructing them to refer all questions from the media, congressional investigators, and even the EPA IG to political appointees. This on the heels of an April report by the Union of Concerned Scientists that showed that political interference in the work of scientists is running rampant at the agency.

In the overall scheme of things, these are minor stories. But they reflect a corrosive trend - the government-wide project originating from the White House to control information – i.e., to make facts that conflict with the Bush administration’s political aims go away. As a political strategy, this was dumb – White House attempts to redraw reality on Iraq and Katrina failed so spectacularly the president and vice president lost all credibility with the public.

But the reality-denial project went on anyway, and its damage should not be underestimated. The one remaining area where the Bush administration has power is in its ability to mold and manipulate the bureaucracy in the service of various GOP interest groups. This goes on below the radar, every day, across the government. A thousand Henry Waxmans, ProPublicas, and concerned NGOs couldn’t uncover it all. And it will certainly increase in pitch and intensity in the days between now and Jan. 20, as Bush appointees try to lock in various rules that favor their constituencies and finally, cover their own tracks.

The question going forward is, how much damage has been done, and how easily can it be undone? Many mechanisms of accountability have broken down. The public thinks – knows – that government officials, never the most credible of voices, habitually lie.

Walking this back will take more than just clearing out the Bush appointees (I’m talking about an Obama administration – it’s doubtful McCain, however earnest he may be about government accountability, would conduct a thorough housecleaning). The government’s own credibility on matters of fact – science in particular – has been eroded. Bad habits in conflict with an increasingly information-rich, transparent age – classifying everything under the sun, massaging data, gagging professionals – are hard to break because they have political advantages for whoever’s in office.

Advertisement