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"Public officials should not prosecute their political rivals."

@evan The phrasing assumes they are prosecuting for political reasons, not for rule of law. If they are trying to prosecute for political reasons, they are not officials, they are politicians...

@stevedurbin I am surprised you got here.

In many places, officials take steps to distance themselves from investigation or prosecution of their rivals, to avoid even the appearance of political persecution.

@evan

Very true - but the challenge is that so much of USA officialdom *is* political appointees, even in the legislative branch. Many countries find it unthinkable that politicians could appoint legislative posts; for example in the UK the judges are appointed by a committee of judges, with the Lord Chancellor (a political appointment) having only a very limited, and rarely exercised, power of veto. How do you distance if no-one is there to replace you?

> even in the legislative branch


The legislative branch is the parliaments, senates and other assemblies of lawmakers, the judicial branch is the courts.

You seem to be talking about the judicial branch.

@stevedurbin @evan

@stevedurbin @evan I agree that as an outsider it is astonishing when you find out how much of the US judicial is appointed by elected officials or is made up of directly elected officials.