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Hans von Spakovsky, only recognizable to a small percentage of Americans, has over the past two decades had a tremendous impact on our right to vote.

Currently, von Spakovsky is serving on the Federal Elections Commission. He was appointed by Bush as a recess appointment in late 2005 over the objections of Congressional officials and voting rights groups alike.

As ePluribus Media recently reported, since the replacement of long-time Voting Rights Section Chief Joseph D. Rich by John K. Tanner (promoted by former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights R. Alexander Acosta) there has been an exodus of unprecedented proportions of experienced voting rights personnel from DoJ's Civil Rights Division.

When John K. Tanner replaced Joe Rich as section chief of the Justice Department's Voting Section in 2005, a breathtaking politicization -- already under way after Alex Acosta was put in charge of the Civil Rights Division -- accelerated sharply.

As The New York Times points out, (subscription) United States Attorneys have been forced to try to create a voting fraud scandal when none existed.

Previous articles in our continuing series on the US Attorneys: The Gonzales Seven; The Alberto Gonzales Appointments: How the Process Has Changed and Why this is so Important; Alberto Gonzales: Gaming the System Again in Arizona?

Long before the public was familiar with Kyle Sampson and his role in the firing of U.S. Attorneys Ryan, Lam, Charlton, Cummins, Iglesias, McKay, Bogden or Chiara by the Alberto Gonzales' Justice Department, his name surfaces in the shakeup that brewed thousands of miles away in the Territory of Guam. In light of what has surfaced with the recent U.S. Attorney firings, was the Bush administration testing the waters on that tiny island four years ago and pushing the envelope to see just how far it could go injecting politics into the U.S. justice system?

In 2002, President G.W. Bush's Administration abruptly removed the Acting U.S. Attorney in Guam, U.S. Attorney Frederick A. Black from his post. Black had been the Acting U.S. Attorney for Guam since 1991 when he was appointed by President George H.W. Bush, the current President's father.

Although never confirmed by the U.S. Senate, William W. Mercer serves as the Acting Associate Attorney General of the United States, the third highest-ranking official in the Justice Department, and a member of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' inner circle.

With current speculation rampant about an imminent departure (either by resignation or being asked to step down) of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, it would only be appropriate to provide relevant information about those mentioned as a possible replacement.

4. Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson:

Cingular Wireless is selectively blocking calls placed to numbers in Iowa run by local phone companies currently involved in multiple suits with its parent company AT&T Inc. The dispute is over "termination fees" -- rates long distance carriers pay the local phone company at a call's destination -- relating to third-party conference and international call services who are increasing

This article is a cooperative venture between ePluribus Media and Appalachian Heritage , "A Literary Quarterly of the Appalachian South" published by Berea College in Kentucky. In addition to appearing here, this essay will be part of the Spring 2007 edition of Appalachian Heritage.