Bush's anti-gay special counsel, last year endorsed gay job protections now opposes them - did he lie then or now?

This is getting interesting.

Bush's head of the Office of Special Counsel told Congress yesterday that he could not (and apparently would not) enforce the presidential executive order, which Bush endorsed, banning anti-gay discrimination in federal employment.

But last year, after Bloch tried to overrule President Bush on the same issue, and a big scandal erupted, Bloch reiterated his support for the policy.

Per the Associated Press, April 9, 2004:

The agency charged with protecting federal employees from bias in the workplace revised its policy Thursday to include sexual orientation.

Bowing to pressure from the White House, the Office of the Special Counsel reinstated the longstanding antidiscrimination policy, which it had put on hold in February pending a "legal analysis."

"It is the policy of this administration that discrimination in the federal workforce on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited," said Scott Bloch, the head of the agency.

And at the same time, last year, the White House expressly told Bloch to stop the shenanigans and enforce the president's policy. As HRC noted in their press release today:

In April 2004, the White House released the following statement: "Longstanding federal policy prohibits discrimination against federal employees based on sexual orientation. ... President Bush expects federal agencies to enforce this policy and to ensure that all federal employees are protected from unfair discrimination at work."

And if that wasn't clear enough direction from the White House, there's this from AP dated April 2, 2004:

The White House on Thursday affirmed President Bush's support for protecting gay federal workers from discrimination because of their sexual orientation -? a month after the official he appointed to enforce that policy put it on hold.

"The president believes that no federal employee should be subject to unlawful discrimination," White House spokesman Trent Duffy said. "That's long-standing federal policy that prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation."

Pretty clear guidance by the White House, and pretty clear guidance from Bloch himself. Then why is Scott Bloch now totally contradicting himself and the president of the United States? Did Bloch lie to the president last year when he said he would enforce the policy? Did he lie to the Associated Press and Congress last year when he said was going to enforce the policy? Did he lie to the US Senate yesterday when he now contradicted himself and told them he had no power to enforce the president's own order, an order that last year he said he clearly had the power to enforce? Or is Bloch simply incompetent, constantly changing his legal opinion fom one day to the next to suit whatever whim overtakes him?

Mr. Bush, why is a rogue activist being permitted to overrule the president of the United States?