Top White House Lawyer Pushed Out

[cal04]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/12/top-white-house-lawyer-pushed-out/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_politicalticker+%28Blog%3A+Political+Ticker%29
From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

TOKYO (CNN) – In the first major shakeup among President Obama's senior staff, CNN has learned that White House Counsel Greg Craig is being pushed out in favor of veteran Democratic lawyer Bob Bauer because of a dispute over the struggle to close the U.S. Military prison at Guantanamo.

A senior administration official and a senior Democratic source confirmed the move will be officially announced by the White House in coming days. The sources said it could be announced as early as Friday in Washington while the President will be in Japan starting a four-nation tour of Asia, which would make it likely the staff change will be overshadowed by other events.

Reached late Thursday evening by telephone for reaction, Craig told CNN, "I'm not going to comment" before hanging up.

Bauer is the husband of outgoing White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, who recently led a so-called "war" on Fox News. Dunn earlier this week announced she is leaving her White House post, a long-anticipated move that was not connected to the media battle.

Democratic officials said Craig was ousted because of frustration among senior White House aides over his handling of the plans to close the prison at Guantanamo. As the White House's top lawyer, Craig was pivotal in advising the President it was wise to sign an executive order during his first week in office promising to shut the prison by the end of January 2010.


CRAIG OUT AS WH COUNSEL
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/11/12/2126145.aspx
From NBC's Chuck Todd
NBC News has learned the long-rumored departure of White House Counsel Greg Craig will likely be made official tomorrow. Craig will be replaced by veteran Democratic Party campaign attorney Bob Bauer. This is the highest-level departure in the Obama White House this year.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Team Player??? perhaps not....

[FrenchieCat]

2. I thought he was already gone!

Didn't he have some kind of "scandal" that made him step back from a particular appointment that he could have had or something?

[hileeopnyn8d]

29. Are you thinking

of Judd Gregg perhaps?

[Beacool]

3. Karma...........

Craig was one of the lawyers defending then-President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial. He became an early and active supporter of Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries, angering backers of then-Sen. Hillary Clinton. That is one of the reasons why allies of Craig are frustrated he is being replaced so early in the administration.

What goes around, comes around.......

:rofl:

[karynnj]

5. You are amazing

Whether Craig should have been replaced or not revolves around how well he handled the important assignments he had. The fact is that any administration official, who puts the administration in a difficult position might justifiably be asked to leave - even if everything he or she did was in line with the President's wishes. It is one of the easiest ways to get new credibility. (In fact, if she became a liability, he would replace Hillary Clinton, though politically that could be harder.)

The questions I will have is what will his replacement do on the issues that are cited for Craig leaving. This allows the administration to move to the left or right - or may one way on one issue, the other on another. The point made here is that some allies of Craig wish he were given more support because he was such an early, active supporter.

Your inference that he owed the Clintons anything is ridiculous. Craig defended Bill Clinton and was likely hired because he was a good lawyer - it was certainly not a favor. It also meant that he had to examine the worst side of Bill Clinton. This does not mean that he had any obligation for life to support him, let alone his wife. How far does that entitlement go? Do his children have to support Chelsea? His Grandchildren support future children of Chelsea? The only thing he owed him as a lawyer was not to use any information he gained as Clinton's lawyer and there is no hint he did that.

[Beacool]

7. Karyn, you like to go on and on, don't you?

(In fact, if she became a liability, he would replace Hillary Clinton, though politically that could be harder.)

This will never happen because politically Obama couldn't risk it. She still has her own constituency (even if she's not in elected office) and is far more popular than any other member of his administration.

:-)

[karynnj]

13. Do you understand the meaning of a conditional clause?

If she became a liability is one. My point was that anyone other than the President or the VP, who became a major liability would risk being jettisoned for the good of the team. Note, I mentioned the political difficulty. That difficulty is such that it would take a very major gaffe or series of gaffes before that would occur. I would hope that you would agree that that is extremely unlikely to occur. Now, if it did, it would both reduce Hillary's "constituency" and likely make it impossible for Obama to succeed with her. The fact is that she serves at the pleasure of the President, as does every member of the administration except the elected VP.

You are the one who goes on and on cheering when anyone on your personal enemies list(even someone you likely never thought of like Craig) fails. The fact is I don't want ANYONE in the Obama administration to fail, because that means his policy has had a failure. That is truest for Clinton, as it would be the highest profile failure you could get.

[lyonn]

40. Being ones attorney doesn't make them necessarily

close buddies. Glad you mentioned who Craig was in relation to the Clintons. This I didn't know.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[firedupdem]

10. Let it go! Jeez! Kennedy- Karma, Richardson-Karma, Craig - Karma,

when does it stop?

[Beacool]

11. I'll let you know.

Until then.........

:popcorn:

[firedupdem]

14. Sounds like a miserable life....but have at it. I actually feel sorry

a tad bit sorry for you.

[Beacool]

16. Miserable? Naaahh, I just like to amuse myself.

See, it personally doesn't affect me who's president. Reagan, Clinton, Bush, etc., my life is still fine. But I do care deeply what happens to the country as a whole.

[firedupdem]

18. Nice try, but you are miserable as hell and you know it.

You're boiling in hate stew daily.

[billh58]

25. For a second there

I thought that I had stumbled into an old Primary Election thread. Where are the DK supporters?...;-)

[Aramchek]

20. How could the President not affect you? do you live outside the US?

[Nedsdag]

22. Yet you still make snide remarks over someone who did not want to support your girl.

This is a free country, Craig decided to support who he wanted to support. If that didn't sit well with you, well tough toenails.

[Cha]

31. I bet I can just guess

who I have on ignore.

[ClarkUSA]

37. Rhymes with "She Drools" nt

[Cha]

41. ...

Yeah, I know.

[karynnj]

15. It might be more fun if you give us your full list now

We could then put little check marks next to them when "karma" hits.

The fact is not supporting HRC was not:
-unethical
-immoral
-illogical
-evil
-a betrayal

It was a decision where people evaluated the options and made a choice.

[ClarkUSA]

38. I thought only Nixon had an "enemies' list". Evidently not. nt

[Nedsdag]

12. Thank you!

Hillary is not a God, but she is a team player who has moved on unlike some people in DU.

Give it up, Beacool. Hillary did, why shouldn't you?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. It stops at Hillary. Apparently.

Her loss wasn't karma. Apparently.

[Aramchek]

19. bitter to the very last drop...

[vaberella]

34. You can't say that enough. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

21. Meow. nt

[vaberella]

33. What are you talking about?! What does the HRC campaign have to do with anything?! Nuts. n/t

[firedupdem]

42. Everyday it's some new rw crap...she's miserable. n/t

[Egnever]

39. LOL

Just cant let it go can ya.

[firedupdem]

4. I read something yesterday that suggested he was dragging

his feet on getting Gitmo shut down? Not sure if that was correct or not. :shrug:

[vaberella]

35. Actually that's the first thought that crossed my mind as I read the article. n/t

[annabanana]

43. He was cozy with Rove. I do not mourn his departure,

and hope that there will be some action down in dixie courthouses.

http://www.atlargely.com/atlargely/2009/11/karl-roves-buddy-resigns-post-as-wh-counsel.html

[ClarkUSA]

8. Bob Bauer is the best lawyer there is on the Democratic side. Craig was out of his depth.

I hope Craig stays on as an advisor, though. He's a loyal, talented legal mind and that resource shouldn't be wasted in
a party that's full of mercenary backstabbing lawyers and bitter grudge holders who are still bitter from losing last year
to President Obama.

[karynnj]

17. Nice to hear - I had never heard of him - so thanks for your comment

[ClarkUSA]

26. You're welcome. Here's some background information on him (link) -->

http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Bob_Bauer

See? He has "Karma" coming to him, too. :eyes:

[karynnj]

30. Thanks - yeah karma

Though I doubt the powers that be of the universe use "betrayed Hillary" as their motivating force.

[ClarkUSA]

36. lol

<<yeah karma... Though I doubt the powers that be of the universe use "betrayed Hillary" as their motivating force.>>

Only a paranoid narcissist of the bitterest kind would ever think so. ;)

[firedupdem]

23. Thanks for the info. I wasn't familiar with him either. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

28. Yeah, he's a bare-knuckle bruiser but is highly ethical for all that. He's a loyal Democrat, too.

Unlike that Democratic laywer who sold his soul to get Scooter Libby off the hook.

[firedupdem]

32. Good....thanks again for the info. n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Lawyers. Now, that's an interesting angle.

If the Administration would systematically remove every attorney who has compromised on the Constitution, that move alone might restore the well-being of this country.

[butterfly77]

27. Good,probably another leaker..

also probably one of the ones who gave the advice not to prosecute Bush/Cheney.