Bruce started an earlier thread on "Obama's" TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) to match this one on "Obama's" DOJ (Department of Justice). They keep trying, but Presidents really have limited ability to affect the operations of government agencies.
The Reagan Administration appointed political commissars at the regional office level of most agencies, and subsequent presidents retained at least some of these political positions. Eventually, we learned how to ignore the commissars. Even the cabinet members who are supposed to direct agencies, have relatively little effect on the independence of civil service bureaucrats - the people who actually know how to do the work.

It's true that the Bush Administration attempted to politicize the Civil Rights Office of the Department of Justice, but it was only partly successful in this effort. I used to work on assignments for the DOJ Civil Rights Office - they're a pretty good organization. It seems to me that the Philadelphia situation in question, had been one of those Bush Administration attempts to use the agency for political purposes. The Black Panthers' actions were certainly not as threatening as the demonstrators carrying rifles outside an arena where Obama was speaking. Prosecution of the non-violent Black Panther demonstration was beyond the moderate, non-political stance the Civil Rights Office has traditionally taken.


So, the speak of "Obama's TSA" or "Obama's DOJ" (Department of Justice) is a misconception. Government agencies are not political puppets. For the most part, they carry out the laws enacted by Congress - not the petty whims of politicians. But the politicians still keep trying.

-Joe-