If Only They Had More Power...

Today the Associated Press is reporting that

For more than 20 years, FBI headquarters in Washington knew that its agents in Boston were using professional killers and mob leaders as informants and shielding them from prosecution for serious crimes including murder.

Now we have evidence that this type of behavior is not just the work of some overzealous field agents, but a directed campaign in which the end justifies the means. Let some Sonny Gravanos free so that we can jail some John Gottis.

Clearly this is more about keeping score and enhancing careers than any altruistic impulse to make the streets safer. Who decides which murderer goes free and which one gets life in prison? And what persentage of the electorate in our democratic republic endorsed these career enhancing decisions by our national police force?

And now, as we are in the process of granting new powers and removing old restrictions on the power of the FBI and other federal agencies, will there be any debate on the imposition of new rules of behavior upon these myrmidons of law enforcement? I guess not. After all, if you haven't done anything wrong you have nothing to fear....