Nowhere are changes needed more in the Department of Justice than in Alabama, where former Governor Don Siegelman still awaits word from the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta and a Congressional investigation in Washington, D.C., on the fate of his political prosecution.

The New York Times carried a story Sunday about seismic shifts going on in the Justice Department to reverse course from the Bush years, when the department was turned into a political hit wing of the White House under Bush’s political adviser Karl Rove.

The Justice Department, probably more than any other agency (in Washington), is bracing for a broad doctrinal shift in policies from those of the Bush administration, department lawyers and Obama administration officials say. Eric H. Holder Jr., whom the Senate is expected to confirm on Monday as the nation’s 82nd attorney general, plans to take the oath of office that evening to demonstrate a quick start, which will include overseeing the creation of a new detention policy for terrorism suspects.

The civil rights division, which had been reshaped in a conservative direction under President George W. Bush, is ripe for sharp change, as well, according to the Times, and expectations are that the division would be restored to its historic role of largely enforcing prohibitions against racial and ethnic discrimination.

Under the Bush administration, the division significantly diminished its involvement in those areas and shifted resources to fighting instances of religious discrimination.

Ridiculous. One of the cases under review will provide a much needed opportunity to have a court assess the Bush administration’s domestic wiretapping program, an issue of much concern to this news organization for the past three and a half years.

As Eric Holder enters the smoldering wreckage of the Justice Department, the challenges he faces will require extraordinary energy and exertion. He will enter with only a few hundred political appointees, while far larger number of “loyal Bushies” have been burrowed (illegally, as the Department acknowledges in its own internal probe) deeply into the institution. The first struggle on the horizon is likely to be a struggle within Justice for the institution’s soul. I expect sabotage and disinformation to flow freely for several months. Hang on for the ride.

[poll id=”3″]Scott Horton, a contributing editor at Harper‘s magazine, writes today about the anticipated changes in a post with the headline: Reversing Course at Justice

We’ve been hanging on for the ride now for a long time. Let’s get the ride underway.

For starters, we would like to know when U.S. attorneys Alice Martin and Laure Canary are going to submit their resignations so change can come not only to Washington, but to the federal justice system in Alabama.

Birmingham African-American Congressman Artur Davis has denied protecting them in their jobs and even set up a competing committee with the state Democratic Party to recommend nominees for those jobs to the Obama administration.

But reports are that they are trying to stay in their jobs to delay real justice from coming to this state, and there are indications the appeals court in Atlanta is reluctant to rule on the Siegelman-Scrushy appeal until change comes to the Justice Department here.

We say what in the world are they waiting for? Bring on the change, and bring it on now!

Hey Bill Canary’s “girls.” Won’t you just resign now?

The Times also carried an editorial on Sunday following our lead in applauding the House Judiciary Committee for A New Subpoena for Karl Rove.

Congress and the Obama administration should do everything they can to compel him to testify. Americans deserve a full accounting.

We couldn’t agree more. Bring it on Mr. Rove! You’ve escaped truth and justice for too long now. It’s time to come forward, swear your oath to God and country on a Bible, and tell the truth.