The  Wall Street Journal reported last November that Scott Bloch, head of the Office of Special Counsel, was under investigation.  “The head of the federal agency investigating Karl Rove’s White House political operation is facing allegations that he improperly deleted computer files during another probe, using a private computer-help company, Geeks on Call.”  That was extraordinary, given the way this administration has handled itself.  Not surprising that the situation would arise at OSC, but extraordinary that it would come under scrutiny.

But it was nothing compared to what happened now.

The  New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON — F.B.I. agents on Tuesday raided and temporarily shut down the offices of a small federal watchdog agency that is charged with protecting the rights of government whistle-blowers but has been accused of retaliating against whistle-blowers in its own ranks.

With the memory of  Phillip Russell still fresh in his mind, Connecticut maven Norm Pattis takes some apparent glee in noting that yesterday was a bad day for Block.  Given that Bloch was supposed to be the protector of government whistleblowers, and the one to investigate misdeed by the administration, it was a bad day for all of us.  We not only find the head of a small watchdog agency in trouble, but we have been denied the function of that agency, had it not become a dirty little fiefdom.

The circularity of this situation, more filled with delicious irony than most, has already been well documented around the blawgosphere.  But one thing that struck me is that the FBI raided Bloch’s home and office. 

I am sometimes accused of being cynical.  It’s a lie, of course, by people who don’t understand me.  Skeptical?  Sure.  Cynical. Never.  Well, maybe sometimes.  But the FBI raided OSC to search and seize evidence!

Criminal defense lawyers don’t often say nice things about the FBI or DOJ.  But yesterday, their actions yesterday shook the very foundations of my skepticism.  It was bold.  It was shocking.  It was the right thing to do.

I applaud one arm of government for not flinching when its duty was to take action against another arm (maybe just a finger?) of government.  I applaud the FBI.  I applaud the Department of Justice. 

When political rot infects a department of government, most of us doubt there is anything to do other than wait for the next election cycle and hope the next one will appoint a someone better, maybe even a little more honest, or perhaps even someone who will actually do the job that is expected of him.  Scott Bloch is accused of being more of the problem than the solution as the guardian of integrity.  He disappointed the American people.  What’s new.

But there is hope for us, as demonstrated by the bold action taken yesterday.  Hope is what this raid was all about.  We can hope that there is someone in Washington, even at the FBI, who can rise above politics.  It brings a smile to this skeptical old face.

Now, what are the chances that the FBI will  raid the CIA and find out what happened to those destroyed torture videos?