Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of Homeland Security, “raised at least $251,550” as a fundraising bundler for Bush’s 2000 campaign, according to a 2003 New York Times investigation and was known to be adviser to Bush’s campaign as well as on the shortlist for running mate in 2000 when he was plucked for the DHS job from his job as the Republican governor of Pennsylvania. […]
Michael Chertoff, the second DHS secretary nominated by Bush, also got confirmation votes from Cornyn and Sessions. A former federal judge, Chertoff gave thousands of dollars in direct donations to Republicans, including Bush, in the years before his nomination.
Sessions and Cornyn supported both of these Bush/Cheney DHS nominees, despite their extensive financial backing of Republicans, including support for the then-president himself.
What’s more, the double-standard appears to only go in one direction — I can’t find any evidence of Democrats complaining about the Ridge or Chertoff nominations based on their donor history.
If the Senate GOP intends to derail Johnson’s nomination, it will probably have to do better than this.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."