As I noted yesterday, House Republicans introduced a resolution earlier in the month to require the Justice Department to turn over any documents on the job offers to Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff. Predictably, the Democrats voted down the resolution in the House Judiciary Committee by a 15-12 vote. Ranking member Lamar Smith had this to say after the vote:

I’m disappointed that Judiciary Committee Democrats today voted against requiring the Obama administration to make good on its promise of openness and transparency.  Allegations of unethical and possibly criminal conduct by Administration officials should be taken seriously by Congress.  Unfortunately, when it’s comes to possible misconduct by the Obama administration, Democrats in Congress seem eager to sweep the allegations under the rug. … I am disappointed that this Resolution of Inquiry is even necessary.  But the Administration has ignored all efforts to conduct meaningful oversight. If the Administration has nothing to hide, why not provide Congress with the requested documents and restore integrity to our election process?

The Democrats say that the resolution was “political.” Oh, puhleez. The White House tenders jobs to get two candidates out of primary races and then House Democrats vote in lockstep not to force it to disclose even what was said to whom. But the Republicans are playing politics? And so what if they are? What’s the excuse for not turning over the information — it would look bad? It would be embarrassing? When Democrats skewered the hapless Alberto Gonzales for firing the U.S. attorney, they were playing politics too; but that’s an observation, not an excuse for refusing to turn over relevant documents.

This is a powerful advertisement for divided government. If the administration isn’t going to allow scrutiny of its behavior, and House Democrats aren’t going to demand it, then voters who have come to loathe backroom deals and self-serving pols may conclude either that the House needs new management or that the White House does. Maybe both.