Owl fans need not apply.

[orichalcum]

The Nexis search string (via Kevin Drum) to weed out unsuitable candidates for the Department of Justice has been published:

[first name of a candidate] and pre/2 [last name of a candidate] w/7 bush or gore or republican! or democrat! or charg! or accus! or criticiz! or blam! or defend! or iran contra or clinton or spotted owl or florida recount or sex! or controvers! or racis! or fraud! or investigat! or bankrupt! or layoff! or downsiz! or PNTR or NAFTA or outsourc! or indict! or enron or kerry or iraq or wmd! or arrest! or intox! or fired or sex! or racis! or intox! or slur! or arrest! or fired or controvers! or abortion! or gay! or homosexual! or gun! or firearm!

This search string was also used on candidates for a National Committee on Violence Against Women and for choosing immigration judges,

Comments

[digitalemur.livejournal.com]

That's a pretty thorough background check search string they've got there. Most of it is reasonable stuff to inquire on, but yeah, the parts about blam! and criticiz! and accus! does suggest they don't want people who have criticiz! the administration.

Also, wow, '!' is a very funny wild card character in this context. I prefer it when systems use * in that situation, but that wouldn't be as funny.

[orichalcum.livejournal.com]

And Iran Contra? Really? Isn't that, like, so 20 years ago?

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

Are there missing parentheses (or does Nexis not do parens? I've forgotten), or is there a c&p error? "or fired", "or sex!", and "or controvers!" appear twice.

A search string created by committee, maybe.

[orichalcum.livejournal.com]

I believe it is indeed something that was passed around various branches, with different people adding and subtracting terms...