Like Father, Like Daughter

Apparently Scalias and Thomases aren't the only relatives of the Felonious Five who have received mucho quid for their quo.

When she's not fondling illegal firearms in her office or demanding that subordinates sign oaths of loyalty (to her, not to the American people), Bush-appointed HHS Inspector Janet Rehnquist is busy intervening to protect Jeb Bush from embarassing pre-election audits of Florida's pension fund.

"Early this year, inspector general officials decided to audit Florida's pension fund amid indications that the Treasury, which contributes money to the fund for state employees who do federal work, had been overcharged. Shortly before auditors were to meet with state officials to start the process in April, Kathleen Shanahan, Gov. Jeb Bush's chief of staff and a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, got word to Ms. Rehnquist that Florida wanted a delay, people close to the inspector general's office said. She granted the request.

Subordinates suspected politics because the delay assured that the audit wouldn't be done until after Election Day, when the governor, who is President Bush's brother, was seeking another term. Two factors fueled the suspicions: Low-level employees typically handle scheduling matters, and the stated reason for the delay was the pending departure of the official who ran the fund -- but that office says it didn't seek the delay. Ms. Shanahan didn't return calls."

You can't help but wonder whether the second cousins and bastard children of Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day O'Connor are also on the payroll.