HOW FAST DO YOU HAVE TO BAIL TO KEEP YOUR NOSE ABOVE THE RISING TIDE OF GOP SEWAGE?

The principal occupation of the right wing in America is to generate an incessant fecal stream of lies, half-truths, and distortions about political opponents. The right cares about doing this more than it cares about governing. Some right-wing truth distortions are big and some are small, but there are so damn many of them that it's almost impossible to keep up.

Here's one, from the PJ Tatler at Pajamas Media:

Holder Justice Department Recruits Dwarfs, Schizophrenics, and the 'Intellectually Disabled'

The PJ Tatler has obtained documents from the Justice Department detailing efforts to recruit attorneys and staff who are dwarfs or who have "psychiatric disabilities" or "severe intellectual disabilities." On May 31, 2012, Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez issued a directive to affirmatively recruit people with these "targeted disabilities."

This DOJ policy does not merely involve prohibitions against discrimination, but rather the documents reveal deliberate recruitment efforts to hire as attorneys and staff for the Department of Justice people suffering from psychiatric disorders and intellectual disabilities. Moreover, applicants can "self-identify" their disability by means of the "Standard Form 256, Self Identification Disability."

Wow, that Eric Holder really hates meritocracy, doesn't he? Holder's Justice Department singlehandedly invented this hiring procedure!

Right?

Er, no. Want to see a copy of Standard Form (SF) 256 from 2008 -- when George W. Bush was president? Here it is, in PDF form. An updated 2010 PDF version is here. The 2008 (Bush-era) version lists "Severe intellectual disorder/mental retardation (a chronic and lifetime condition certifiable under section 213.3102(u) of Schedule A)" and "Psychiatric disorder or history of treatment for mental or emotional illness" as "Severe Disabilities (EEOC Targeted)"; the 2010 version has similar wording. I assume this means that people with mental disabilities can be "targeted" (recruited and hired) if they're under appropriate treatment (e.g., schizophrenics under an effective drug regimen) or seek jobs commensurate with their abilities (there are some mailroom workers at my company who seem as if they might have a mental impairment, though they do a fine job -- why not the DoJ?).

And, yeah, both SF-256s list dwarfism as well -- and by the way, why even bring up dwarves, except to get a chuckle out of idiot readers of your right-wing site? In what way does dwarfism disqualify you for a white-collar job?

Here's a PDF of a 2008 report from the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) titled "Improving the Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force." It tells us that efforts to improve federal hiring of people with targeted disabilities began under President Clinton -- and continued under President George W. Bush.

Now, here's something that really stuck in the Pajama folks' craw:

Those with "targeted disabilities" may be hired through a "non-competitive" appointment. That means they don’t have to endure the regular civil service competition among applicants, but can be plucked from the stack of resumes and hired immediately instead.

According to the documents, those with these "targeted disabilities" may be hired "before the position is advertised" and even "before the position's closing date."

But according to that Bush-era EEOC report, non-competitive hiring of people with disabilities was already being done in the Bush years:

Several hiring authorities designed specifically for use by and for people with disabilities are available for the federal hiring process. The broadest of these authorities is the Schedule A appointing authority, which allows for non-competitive appointment of individuals with disabilities.... Schedule A was designed to provide job opportunities to persons with severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and/or mental retardation.... In FY 2006, 326 individuals were hired under Schedule A....

In addition to Schedule A, there is Schedule B, another non-competitive hiring authority....

So this is not some mad Holder scheme. It's long-standing government policy.

(And, by the way, shame on Mediaite for falling for this crap.)