Local Columnist Advocates That Justice Department Break Law, As if it Needed Encouragement

Jim Wooten is the AJC's right leaning columnist (opposing Cynthia Tucker and Jay Bookman on the left). In his online column today, he wrote:

"The Justice Department’s inspector general says recruiters improperly used 'political or ideological' considerations to find and hire conservative interns. Ideology can be considered in recruiting political appointees, but not otherwise. Justice officials should get more sophisticated in screening to hire conservatives. Anybody doubt that colleges and employers look for the codes in applications and essays to achieve diversity? Ideological diversity is important, too."

Beyond the matter of encouraging the Justice Department to break the law (a skill it already has down pat) Wooten's advice is stupid. If he wants ideological diversity (which he doesn't) the way to get it is to ignore it as a factor. If you hire based on competence, you'll get some competent men and women, some competent fat and skinny people, and surprise, some competent conservatives, moderates and liberals. What you won't get are political hacks (what Wooten actually wants given his methodology).