Bush's Olympic Hurdle

"The best way to do that is to open a full-fledged investigation. Impanel a grand jury to follow the trail that bears the footprints of Ms. Goodling and Mr. Sampson and find out where it leads. If Mr. Mukasey wants to restore the department's reputation for unbiased justice, he must pursue the truth without fear of the political consequences."

The Florida Today editorial board writes that the Justice Department's integrity will "remain shattered unless Attorney General Michael Mukasey holds those who corrupted the department accountable, including perjury charges against top aides who lied before Congress last year.

"And putting White House officials who appear to have been involved in the wrongdoing under oath to testify -- as far up the chain as former Bush political advisor Karl Rove.

"We have no confidence he'll do so, which is why the House Judiciary Committee should continue digging into this swamp to ensure justice is served."

The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board writes: "Breaking the law at the U.S. Justice Department, of all places, should carry serious consequences."

And consider the bigger picture.

Ruth Marcus writes in her Washington Post opinion column: "The ousted Goodling and the lingering deficit are twin manifestations of the Bush administration's overarching contempt for government and blind adherence to ideology.

"This administration will leave office having trashed the place. . . .

"I'm referring to the myriad ways in which this administration, dismissive of the role of government, abused the enterprise it was entrusted with overseeing."

Tim Rutten writes in his Los Angeles Times opinion column: "At some point, the American people will demand a precise accounting of how and why their government and its officials behaved in this reckless, appalling fashion. That will require following the chain of command into the White House. When it happens, you can bet that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Addington et al will demand every protection of the law and insist on every comma of the due process they've derided as mere inconvenience."

Finally, ThinkProgress notes that the White House press corps failed to ask White House press secretary Dana Perino a single question about the Justice Department report at yesterday's gaggle.

War on Terror All Wrong

Joby Warrick writes in The Washington Post: "The Bush administration's terrorism-fighting strategy has not significantly undermined al-Qaeda's capabilities, according to a major new study that argues the struggle against terrorism is better waged by law enforcement agencies than by armies.