TPM: Did Specter Give WH Power to Replace Prosecutors?

[deminks]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002354.php

In order to replace several U.S. Attorneys with handpicked successors, the Bush Administration has relied on a tiny, obscure provision tucked into last year's USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act.

How did it get there?

Former Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) slipped the language into the bill at the very last minute, according to one of the Republican managers of the bill.

A spokesperson for Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who led the House team working on the bill, said that the provision was inserted by Specter into the final draft of the bill. The language was apparently requested by the Justice Department. Specter's office didn't respond to numerous requests for comment.

Earlier versions of the bill did not contain the provision, which grants authority to the Attorney General to replace U.S. Attorneys without Senate approval. When the House and the Senate first voted in favor of the legislation, the provision did not exist.

emphasis mine. Mr. magic bullet hisself.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. These "insertions" are as outrageous as middle of the night earmarks

If Specter did this, he should be answerable. I suppose it's possible that a staffer of Specter did it in his name, but he's still answerable for it.

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. More crimes. HOW THE F*CK DO THEY KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS CRAP?*&^%$#@

sorry for the caps, but I'm pissed as hell AGAIN! :grr:

[mod mom]

3. "Mr. magic bullet himself" hmmh...I wonder what they possibly have on him?

[Mandate My Ass]

4. Mr. Moderate did this? Surely not.

Specter has become a boot-licking toady. He occasionally tried to keep his constituents happy while not pissing off the administration too much by picking his battles, but this is beyond the pale.

I heard Ray McGovern talk and he hinted that the reason he backed off on the NSA wiretapping and other domestic spying issues is because they had dug up some dirt on him. He hinted that Arlen is playing footsie with someone other than his spouse and they threatened to out him.

One of the commenters there noted that: Sen. Feinstein has already introduced a bill (S. 214), cosponsored by Sens. Leahy and Pryor, that would undo this provision. Good for her.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. "Arlen is playing footsie with someone other than his spouse" then the DEMS should EXPOSE him

and stop this crap in its tracks.

[BuyingThyme]

5. Ignore it. We need his vote on stem cells.

He's a moderate.

:silly:

[seaglass]

6. This is a typical Specter move - where are his defenders of

just two weeks ago?

He makes moderate noises then more often than not buckles under to Bush.

[BuyingThyme]

7. The defenders never go away. Specter could kill their mothers,

and they'd still defend him. In some cases, that may have already occurred.

[americanstranger]

9. The next time Specter says he has 'grave concerns' with WH conduct...

...could someone just stand up and tell him he's full of shit?

Specter is a master at GOP Kabuki - first bleat about 'grave concerns,' but when it comes to crunch time, give the thugs all they want and more.

Bastard.

- as