What did The New York Times say earlier this week about the decision to reject over-the-counter sales of Plan B emergency contraception?

Top agency officials were deeply involved in the decision, which was "very, very rare," a top F.D.A. review official told investigators. The officials' decision to ignore the recommendation of an independent advisory committee as well as the agency's own scientific review staff was unprecedented....

And what does The Washington Post say today about the Justice Department's approval of a Georgia voter-ID law much desired by Republicans?

A team of Justice Department lawyers and analysts who reviewed a Georgia voter-identification law recommended rejecting it because it was likely to discriminate against black voters, but they were overruled the next day by higher-ranking officials at Justice, according to department documents.

Hmmm -- a subtle pattern begins to emerge.

Staffers who review the evidence and make recommendations? We don't need no stinking staffers who review the evidence and make recommendations!

In a way, it's like what happened with intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq War. You underlings have evidence that the aluminum tubes aren't for weapons of mass destruction? Sorry, up here at the top we don't give a crap about your silly evidence; we've already made up our minds.

In the case of the Georgia voter-ID law, which the Justice Department "pre-cleared," the Post explains what upset the staffers:

The program requires voters to obtain one of six forms of photo identification before going to the polls, as opposed to 17 types of identification currently allowed. Those without a driver's license or other photo identification are required to obtain a special digital identification card, which would cost $20 for five years and could be obtained from motor vehicle offices in only 59 of the state's 159 counties.

... sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, showed that Georgia blacks were much less likely than whites to own vehicles and also less likely to have photo IDs, the memo said.

And, as The New York Times said in September about the limited number of sites where ID cards can be obtained,

It is outrageous that Atlanta does not have a single location.

Gee, and 54% of Atlanta's registered voters are black -- coincidence?

Obnviously, it's silly to expect anything different from the Bushies. They want what they want; they don't intend to allow any required process to threaten their revolution.