DOJ Diva of the Day: Rachel Paulose
Many tipsters have written in to ask us why we haven’t written about a certain delicious DOJ diva: U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose (D. Minn.), who has just been reassigned to Main Justice. From the New York Times:
The embattled United States attorney in Minnesota announced today that she would be stepping down to go work at the Justice Department in Washington on legal policy issues.The announcement by the prosecutor, Rachel K. Paulose, 34, came in the wake of reports of new staff turmoil in her office, with at least one senior lawyer resigning from his management post in Minneapolis on Friday in a protest over her leadership. Three other managers gave up their administrative jobs in a similar protest in April.
Her resignation message appears here.
Some of you claim that we overuse the term “diva.” But diva is as diva does:
In an unusual public statement on a conservative blog last week, Ms. Paulose suggested that she was a victim of “McCarthyite hysteria that permits the anonymous smearing of any public servant who is now, or ever may have been, a member of the Federalist Society, a person or faith and/or a conservative (especially a young, conservative woman of color).”
For more evidence of diva-hood, see Eric Blank:
Paulose alienated most of the office staff with a leadership style that was described as insulting, an inability to listen respectfully to opinions that ran contrary to her own. Recently, she has been under investigation by two federal agencies for a series of alleged misdeeds, mostly involving the way she treated the staff but also her alleged improper handling of classified national security materials. She was also the subject of a very negative job review, based substantially on her management style.
One tipster writes, referring back to the controversy over her allegedly extravagant investiture as U.S. Attorney: “A diva reassigned. Will she have a coronation when she gets back to DC?”
Lots of links and more discussion, including disclosure about our prior interactions with Ms. Paulose, after the jump.
Considering all the controversy around her over the past few months, we haven’t written as much about Rachel Paulose as one might expect. We have a confession to make. We felt a little weird writing about her, since we know Rachel personally.
We won’t give you the full account of our history with Rachel Paulose, which you probably wouldn’t find very interesting. Here’s the abridged version.
We didn’t know Rachel terribly well in law school, since she was two years ahead of us. But we bonded when we attended the post-graduation wedding of two mutual friends and classmates, and we remained friendly for a number of years. We would email and talk on the phone with some regularity, often about career-related matters. We had similar career trajectories: appellate court clerkships, law firm gigs, federal prosecutor stints.
But after we embarked upon our sinful blogging career, we got kicked to the curb. Rachel made quite clear to us that she did not approve of our professional trajectory. We could say more, but we’ll leave it at that.
Were we a little miffed at our dismissal? Sure. C’mon, Rachel… Why must you be so judgmental of how people earn a living? Even Jesus hung out with tax collectors and hos.
(Of course, part of us loved the high-handed treatment. Getting abused by divas is our idea of a good time!)
P.S. Now that we’ve issued this disclosure, we will feel more free to write about Rachel Paulose going forward. But we suspect that she won’t make as many waves now that she’s back in the loving embrace of Main Justice.
Paulose Resigns [Eric Blank Ink]
Paulose Offered Justice Department Position [TPMmuckraker]
U.S. Attorney in Minnesota Is Reassigned [New York Times]
Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney To Leave For Justice Department [WISN.com]
Earlier: DOJ Diva Alert! Meet U.S. Attorney Rachel K. Paulose
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Must be nice to be appointed a U.S. Attorney at 34.
"Dear Mr. President,
I'm almost out of diapers. Please consider me for the newly-available D. Minn. U.S. Atty post. I cry a lot, but who doesn't?"
I don't know about overuse of the term "diva," Lattie, but here you've made an egregious MISuse of the term. "Diva" connotes a measure of extraordinary talent. Which appears shockingly absent in Paulose's case.
third
Is Mukasey cleaning house or was there simply too much pressure on Paulose to resign with her entire office threatening to resign if she didn't?
NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH! NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH! Hey-Hey! GOODBYE!
What I love about Republicans is that they spent 20-30 years arguing how ridiculous it was for Black Americans to play the race card -- i.e., so and so did this to me because I'm Black.
Now every minute it's something like "they're only opposing Alito because he's Catholic!" (as if opposition to a pro life nominee is per se religious discrimination) or "I'm being victimized because I'm in the Federalist society".
What losers.
11:00 - Yale Law School, circuit clerkship, top law firms (Williams & Connolly and Dorsey & Whitney), AUSA... Clearly Paulose has SOME amount of talent.
Please don't feed the 11:08 partisan troll.
....imagine working for her...UGH
Wow the WE shit can get really annoying in posts like this one...
11:17 - what does "WE" stand for?
Yeah I don't understand why bloggers use we. Is there some sort of rule?
How does a 34 year old get appointed U.S. Attorney? Shouldn't someone in that position have many, many more years of experience?
Is that the only way Alberto G. could find someone who supported his ridiculous agenda?
didn't approve of your professional trajectory? haha, people need to lighten up.
"Some of you claim that we overuse the term 'diva.'"
No, of course not. Diva has a well-understood meaning as any woman who has ever been the least bit assertive in her life...
...right?
It is my understanding that she has a no shortage of talent, but that she was promoted past the point where she could be effective given her experience and maturity. Given time to gain more experience (both legal and managerial) she could be excellent as a U.S. Attorney or in private practice. This is a pretty big slice of humble pie for her and there is no reason to think she won't learn quite a bit from this experience.
"It is my understanding that she has a no shortage of talent"
On what do you base this understanding?
i am getting tired of all of the fed society/christian/crazy conservative Affirmative Action that leads to these disasters
She sounds truly awful - yet another in the parade of idiot managerial failures caused by the appointment of mindless ideologues with little or no experience. Enough. Ms. Paulose, I sincerely doubt you are a victim of “McCarthyite hysteria that permits the anonymous smearing of any public servant who is now, or ever may have been, a member of the Federalist Society, a person or faith and/or a conservative (especially a young, conservative woman of color).”
Most likely, you are a victim of your own stupidity and/or assholishness. Get off your unjustifiably high horse. You were a horrible manager who almost drove every career employee out of the office you were asked to steward. Now please go away, and take your cronies with you.
Gallion OUT!
The "we" shit needs to end.
Is it even ethical or smart for someone like an AUSA to comment about pending personnel matters on a blog? Especially when you want evenhanded, neutral AUSAs (theoretically, anyway) that don't lean to one side or another.
What do you know, Gallion? You're just the head of a shitty law firm who couldn't hack it at S&C and you don't know the first thing about DOJ. The fact that you reflexively take a side in this without knowing anything says more about you than about Ms. Paulose.
Yeah, Lat, you don't overuse "diva." You abuse "we."
Wha...? No.... I mean the Royal We.
11:49 (or Ms. Paulose, whichever you prefer), do you actually think I am the real Gallion? Hahaha. I never fail to be amazed by the rank stupidity among posters on this site.
Gallion OUT!
U.S. Attorneys in their early 30s. Ha. My work here is done.
FYI - AUSA is not the same as U.S. Attorney.
Diva or not, she's kinda hot.
Yeah I don't understand why bloggers use we. Is there some sort of rule?
Posted by: Anonymous | November 20, 2007 11:22 AM
---------------------
See Bluebook, at p. 269.
Unintentional Rhymer is dead on. What a beautiful woman.
The offices of federal prosecutors are well known for their liberal leanings and their hatred of conservatives. They're like churches in the south.
"But we bonded when we attended the post-graduation wedding of two mutual friends and classmates, and we remained friendly for a number of years."
Cue 70s style wha-wha guitar music. Ahhhhhh yeah. At least you were more gentlemanly than that pro se jerk with his recusal motion.
Those sound like some piddly complaints from some whiney office workers... this is a smear campaign of a true conservative up-and-comer. A minority at that...
Those sound like some piddly complaints from some whiney office workers... this is a smear campaign of a true conservative up-and-comer. A minority at that...
more pics of this woman, please.
i can't decide whether she's cute or freakishly kindred in appearance to Chris Kattan from SNL.
Wow, the trifecta of delusional self-pity! She is apparently downtrodden and persecuted because of 1) her conservative views, 2) her Fed Society membership, and 3) her Christianity (with shout outs to her age, gender, and race). Yes, being a conservative Christian member of the Federalist Society has been career suicide for the past 8 years!
And being a young, female conservative Christian FedSoc has been extra tough! Ask Monica Goodling. She had to graduate from a TTT and work for months and months before getting a senior DOJ job that most folks would kill for. How can she ever be compensated for her trevails??
These "persecuted" folks have 1 other thing in common: they've done bad things. Stop whining you delusional harridan! The age when being a Bushie (and nothing more) was the key to unparalled success is over. Now try earning it.
PS - do you think she's a FORMER FedSoc member b/c they kicked her out for listing race and gender as a possible source of negative events in her life?
No, it's not. She was a nightmare. It has nothing to do with her being conservative or a minority. It may have something to do with her being young and a woman.
You know, the editorial we? We... I mean, I, I dropped off the money, man. And look, new shit has come to light.
Also, she is hot.
12:34,
The cult of martyrdom has been a part of Christianity since its inception. It's a little ridiculous in this day and age, but deep down, the true believers still wish they were living back in the Roman Empire so they could throw themselves to the lions in the name of Jebus. This leads them to say ridiculous things about Christianity being an oppressed minority in this conservative Christian nation.
12:32 -- THANK you! I couldn't figure out for the life of me who she reminded me of, but you're totally right, it's Chris Kattan.
"PS - do you think she's a FORMER FedSoc member b/c they kicked her out for listing race and gender as a possible source of negative events in her life?"
No--ever since Thomas' "high tech lynching" it's been fine to suggest that one has been discriminated against on the basis of race and gender-as long as one is conservative.
In a 268 word block, Lat used "WE" 23 times, that is one "we" every 11.7 words.
CAN WE MAKE IT STOP?! Please!!
Sounds like a typical KKKonservative
11:49 (or Ms. Paulose, whichever you prefer), do you actually think I am the real Gallion?
Of course not, but it's tough to direct ad hominems at anonymous posters who reveal no personal info
She had three years of experience before she was appointed via a provision in the Patriot Act, which means the Senate Judiciary Cmte did not have to have a hearing or vote? Oh yeah, I am sure she was real qualified.
The truth is that the US attorney she replaced was probably on the short list to be replaced by the Bushies and Paulose is an unqualified crony.
Also, what is her ethnicity? I will start the guessing with Filipina.
she's indian
she's indian
The best comment so far on Paulose's lynching comes from Powerline:
"If my friend Rachel Paulose were a liberal Democrat, she would be a celebrity. Serving as the United States attorney for Minnesota, she is the first woman, the first immigrant (Indian), the first Asian, and, at age 34, the youngest attorney ever to hold the position. A graduate of Yale Law School, she has compiled an impressive academic record and stellar professional credentials. She’s not a liberal Democrat, however, she is a conservative Republican, and she has been the subject of an old-fashioned, low-tech media lynching."
The bigoted statements by leftists throughout this thread only confirm this observation.
Fed Soc, is it your position that the office is full of liberals? And if these liberals couldn't stand conservative bosses, why did so many of them work fine with the previous conservative boss?
Why is it so hard to believe that some people are really, really bad managers of people and Paulose's is one of them.
Fed Soc, are you seriously suggesting that Paulose was qualified for the job? Or are you just parroting the party line from Powerline - not exactly an unbiased source of information - to support your partisan stance?
Sorry, but a shitty manager is a shitty manager regardless of his or her race or sex. No one has any business being appointed as a U.S. Attorney with only three years of legal experience.
Having the President give you a lifetime supply of rope for being a loyal Bushie, and then hanging yourself with it, is hardly a "lynching."
I love how right-wingers equate getting caught with being lynched, as if mismanagment, corruption, incompetence, and criminal activity were sacred rights accorded to Bushies. "I pledged my allegience to George W. Bush, what's all this accountability mumbo jumbo? I'm under attack! Cheney said I could do anything I want! Aaaaaagh!"
Gentlemen/women (or FedSocers), those who were REALLY lynched weren't doing anything (except being non-white) and their spirits don't appreciate your casual hijacking of the term. For shame.
Fed Soc, statements like yours only confirm your utter lack of clue, in comparing even vocal and possibly unfair criticism to "an old-fashioned, low-tech... lynching." You know that in the old-fashioned lynchings, people actually died, right?
come on this is the true gold..
"Even Jesus hung out with tax collectors and hos."
brilliant, this is why i am goofing off reading this instead of studying for exams.
2:48: I mostly agree with 11:46. I think that Paulose is an exceptionally talented individual, but it would have been best if she had benefited from two or three more years of experience before being appointed to such a high-level position. That does not make her a "shitty manager." In any case, my point was that if she were an atheistic liberal, other liberals would all be praising her despite the fact that (while extremely talented) she may have had insufficient experience for the job, and any conservative questioning her credentials would be deemed a racist, sexist, theocrat, etc.
2:56: This is why my quote specifically said "media" lynching, and why you made sure to omit the word "media" in making your point.
"But after we embarked upon our sinful blogging career, we got kicked to the curb. Rachel made quite clear to us that she did not approve of our professional trajectory."
Jesus, what a terrible person.
She still sounds horrible to me. Who would want to know this person?
Gallion OUT!
Actually, Fed Soc, you said, "The best comment so far on Paulose's lynching comes from Powerline:" You then proceeded to quote someone referring to a “low-tech media lynching" You, however, stated that she was being lynched. Whatever, allegedly unfair treatment she's receiving, it is far from a lynching. Blacks were terrorized by racist whites, strung up, and burned. Don't you dare compare her situation to the systematic torture and murder that plagued Blacks for over a century.
love that. . . "diva is as diva does."
Well said, 3:31, well said.
The ignorance and hubris of these people is astonishing.
Gallion OUT!
Really? Nobody's going to make the catty gay joke about "we"? I mean, it's right there. Did I miss it on another thread?
Fed Soc: If you are expressing your agreement with 11:26 not 11:46 as you wrote, you should note that you are agreeing with an unabashed liberal who hates cronyism.
In this case, the anecdotes about Ms. Paulose are certainly unflattering but it seems that the real fault should fall on the people who failed to see (or were unwilling to see) that she was not ready to take on a very important job.
I suspect that those who appointed her fail to recognize how important the U.S. Attorneys are and what level of maturity is required to execute the duties of that office.
Fed Soc, it's amazing how you, like certain other conservatives, tend to portray Republicans as a discriminated minority. It's the way Rush Limbaugh came to wield such influence in your cloistered world - pound the table and whine about supposed liberal hypocrisy, and how Things Would Be Different If It Were A Democrat Doing This.
And please stop painting criticism of your bleeding-heart conservative mindset as being "liberal bias." Because you know what? I'm a Republican and I'm sick to death of the bloviating and bombast that has dominated my party since the Clinton era. Quit portraying yourselves as victims and blindly following the talking points that Bush gives you and go out and govern for a change!
Kudos to 4:08.
FWIW, I have a little knowledge of what I speak.
Paulose is not the first, nor will she be the last unqualified political hack nominated to a USA slot. There's always been cronyism in these appointments, but at least the senators usually know enough to tap a person with SOME management experience. In my opinion, one needs at least 5 (preferably 10) yrs. of progressive MANAGEMENT experience before one should be tapped for a USA slot. That's to give you the hands-on experience of resolving petty interpersonal squabbles and manipulating the titanic egos that are found in any organization having politically ambitious lawyers. Mere book smarts are NOT enough.
Oh, and Democrats are just as crassly political in these USA appointments as are the Republicans, don't forget.
-- ET
4:31,
So the last grossly underqualified 34-year-old USA appointed by a Democrat was...?
You hear nonsense like FedSoc's all the time when a conservative takes a fall for their own misbehavior: "If this were a Democrat, it'd all be different." I notice such comments are never followed up with actual examples, despite the complete confidence with which they are declaimed. Where was the massive liberal groundswell of support during the "persecution" of William Jefferson? *crickets chirping* Cynthia McKinney? *crickets chirping*
Now, I may be going out on a limb here, but exactly how is it diva-worthy conduct to complain and call herself a victim? A diva would have remained in her position through the end of this administration, staff departures be damned. And the remaining staff would have been instructed not to make eye contact with her as she menacingly yet gracefully traverses the office.
She may have been a bad manager, but it's hard to call her unqualified. While she had 3+ years in private practice, she was 9 years out of law school before being appointed.
Graduate Yale Law School — 1997
8th Cir. Appeals Court Clerk in Minneapolis — 1997-98
DOJ Honors in DC — 1998-99.
AUSA in Minneapolis — 1999-02
Dorsey & Whitney in Minneapolis — 2002-05
Williams & Connelly in DC — 2005-06
DOJ Dep.AG Office — 2006
Interim US Attorney Minneapolis — Feb. 28, 2006
Half the jobs are honorary fluff.
Also she competed in the finals of the Yale moot court against the liberal saint Goodwin Liu. Don't recall which side won.
6:51:
She was out of law school for 9 years. Whooee. I know AUSAs who have been practicing twice that long who aren't qualified to be a USA. I am not convinced that 1 year of a clerkship, 1 year of "DOJ Honors", followed by 3 years as an AUSA and 4 in private practice qualified her to be the head Federal prosecutor for the entire freaking state.
She's a hack of the same ilk as Michael "Heck of a job, Brownie" Brown.
I think her qualifications for the job (or lack thereof) are somewhat beside the point. Sometimes supposedly unqualified people rise to the occasion.
The fact is that she got the job and -- for some reason -- has been forced out of it. What matters is what that reason is.
I never heard of Rachel Paulose until this morning. It is logically possible that she's being victimized because of her FedSoc membership and/or the other characteristics that she mentioned. But my guess is that's the height of self-delusion, and that if she'd done a good job as US-A she'd still be in this position. Sometimes even really really really really smart people, who've succeed all their life, fail. That happens more than anti-Fed Soc cabals by subordinates to bring down their bosses.
It's great how this thread attracted comments from pretty much every regular ATL pseudonymous commenter. All we are missing is for Loyola 2L to stop by.