Obama Still Hasn’t Made Up His Mind About US Attorneys

• March 14, 2009

I think, after all the ruckus liberals raised about President Bush daring to exercise his authority chief executive to replace attorneys in the Justice Department, Obama finds himself between a rock and a hard place as he tries to implement his own agenda upon arriving in office. He knows that if he replaces certain US attorneys who are popular on the right with selections that would be more popular with the left he’ll face a storm of (rightful) claims of hypocrisy from Republicans.
And some of these US attorneys are very popular. Take North Dakota’s own Drew Wrigley. A petition drive has started in the state asking Obama to keep him in office.

In North Dakota, residents are pursuing a petition drive to keep U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley, a public relations campaign that was chronicled on the front page of the state’s main newspaper. Wrigley’s supporters say he needs to be in place to pursue a death sentence against the man convicted nearly three years ago of murdering University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin in 2003. And in New Orleans, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has won the endorsement of the state’s Democratic senator, Mary Landrieu, who praised him for picking up a heavy caseload after Hurricane Katrina.
Justice Department and White House officials declined to comment on U.S. attorney picks this week.

So either Obama can try pull these US attorneys out of office and cause himself a whole lot of trouble that, with everything else plaguing his administration right now, isn’t what he needs. Or he can ignore the issue, which isn’t exactly a pressing one, and hope it’ll go away.
I think Obama will do the latter.

Tags: Asshats, Domestic Issues, North Dakota News, Politics

http://Array Bat One

“Typically” is a bit stronger than is warranted… but then typically it is done to be able to reward political supporters with high profile government positions, rather than to avoid embarrassment and potential indictments as was the case with Clinton and would certainly be the perception if Obama dismissed all the US Attorneys.

“The Chicago Way” is already wearing thin and looking threadbare.
Lioncourt

But tha’st already been done once and it hardly worked out well for Clinton.

Actually it’s typically done every time a President takes office.
Bat One

Odd that the one US Attorney nobody talks about is Patrick Fitzgerald in Chicago, who is in the midst of a massive investigation of political corruption in the State of Illinois which could easily taint Obama and his people.

No doubt, like Clinton, Obama would like to make that pre-presidential mess disappear, perhaps by firing all the US Attorneys. But tha’st already been done once and it hardly worked out well for Clinton. Besides, Fitzgerald is the “hero” who took down Scooter Libby, so the howls of protest wouldn’t just be from the Right.

Turns out the president’s power isn’t all its cracked up to be. Meanwhile, Tony Rezko keeps talking.
carrick

Lioncourt:

Actually it’s typically done every time a President takes office.

Typically most are replaced within the first two years of a president, but firing them at one time is certainly not “typical” (but not “unprecedented” either).
jimmypop

just to be on the safe side drew should skip a tax payment or two. hed fit in much better.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

I don’t that wanting to keep a job you’re good at is rent seeking poodle.
WOOFX

The No Dak atty is rent seeking.
The case is his job for life.

needs to be in place to pursue a death sentence

SayAnythingBlog.com

Obama Still Hasn’t Made Up His Mind About US Attorneys

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