Specter is still opposed to the nomination of Dawn Johnson

[MadBadger]

says so in the Press Conference.

[vaberella]

1. Hah...I posted a second first.

:rofl: God, I'm annoyed by that too.

[Uzybone]

2. Joining Ben Nelson. Just dont help to block it Specter.

[tishaLA]

3. Right. Opposition is one thing. Blocking it is another

and he has a history of NOT blocking RW ideologues for similar positions.

[Eric J in MN]

4. Glenn Greenwald: Dawn Johnsen may be Obama's "best" nomination.

There are several striking pieces of evidence that suggest this appointment may be Obama's best yet, perhaps by far. Consider, first, this rather emphatic Slate article authored by Johnsen in the wake of the disclosure, last April, of the 81-page John Yoo Memo which declared that the President's power to torture detainees is virtually limitless. Her article is notable at least as much for its tone as for its substance (emphasis added):

I want to second Dahlia's frustration with those who don't see the newly released Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) torture memo as a big deal. Where is the outrage, the public outcry?! The shockingly flawed content of this memo, the deficient processes that led to its issuance, the horrific acts it encouraged, the fact that it was kept secret for years and that the Bush administration continues to withhold other memos like it--all demand our outrage.

Yes, we've seen much of it before. And yes, we are counting down the remaining months. But we must regain our ability to feel outrage whenever our government acts lawlessly and devises bogus constitutional arguments for outlandishly expansive presidential power. Otherwise, our own deep cynicism, about the possibility for a President and presidential lawyers to respect legal constraints, itself will threaten the rule of law--and not just for the remaining nine months of this administration, but for years and administrations to come.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/01/05/olc/