Question: How many Bush appointees are still serving as US Attorneys at the state level?

[Fly by night]

From the tea-buggers case, we know that at least one of them still directs federal prosecutions in one Louisiana jurisdiction, while doing a poor job at home of teaching respect for the law to his own child (who was one of the four arrested at Landrieu's office).

Here in Tennessee, I do not believe that any of the three US Attorneys in charge of federal prosecutions for our three grand divisions have been replaced yet.

It has now been a year since Eric Holder took office as the Attorney General. Although I know there was (and is) a lot on his plate, one of the perks of victory is the ability to appoint your own team at the state and federal level. Otherwise, we can keep hoping for change, and keep getting bupkis.

What is Holder waiting on?

[Lasher]

1. As of October last year, one third of U.S. Attorneys were Bush holdovers

October 2, 2009

More than eight months after President Barack Obama took office, one third of the country’s U.S. Attorney offices are still run by prosecutors appointed during the administration of Republican George W. Bush, according to a review of data by Main Justice.

At this point in October 2001 — after Bush succeeded Democrat Bill Clinton – less than 9 percent of the slots were occupied by Clinton holdovers.

The data from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate show that Obama is moving relatively slowly to replace Bush-era prosecutors.

Of the 93 U.S. Attorney posts nationwide, 23 are occupied by Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorneys appointed by Bush. Another eight U.S. Attorneys who were appointed during the Bush administration, but not confirmed by the Senate, are also serving. That makes a total of 31 Bush-era appointees who are still running the top federal prosecuting offices around the country.

http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/10/02/one-third-of-us-attorneys-are-bush-holdovers/

Specifics furnished via interactive charts at the linked website.

I just have to include the follwing from the article I linked above:

The uproar over the apparent politicization of the Justice Department helped energize Obama’s liberal base in the 2008 presidential election.

But as president, Obama has moved cautiously to replace U.S. Attorneys. While Bill Clinton asked for the resignation of all U.S. Attorneys after taking office in 1993 — a move that was criticized at the time as disruptive — the Obama White House has consulted closely with Republican Senators. At times, the White House has delayed moving forward when GOP senators objected to an intended nominee. At the same time, some Democratic senators and House members have been slow in forwarding their recommendations for U.S. Attorneys to the White House, contributing to delays, say people familiar with the process.

'Change you can believe in.' So change the fucking GWB Attorneys General already.

[Fly by night]

5. Thanks for these links and info. Justice delayed is justice denied.

And that goes for delaying the appointment of new Justice Department officials as well. What I would like here in the middle district of Tennessee is the appointment of a US Attorney who has expertise in election fraud and voting rights issues, since our state's Rethugligans will keep stealing elections until they are stopped.

That sort of expertise would be helpful in Alabama as well, I would expect.

[Lasher]

6. Here is a more recent article.

The website wants you to register if you hit the article a number of times (which I have) so here is a link to a cached version of it:

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:yfMYtsLKE2IJ:www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/148843/group/Opinion/+President+Bill+Clinton+had+nominated+75+candidates+for+the+job+of+US+attorney+and+seen+52&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I just read somewhere that Sen. Vitter has placed a 'hold' on 3 different Obama nominees for the

positions in LA.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7418284
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7578446


Edited to add link.

[DefenseLawyer]

3. The Northern District of Indiana just had a new appointee nominated but he's not in yet.

The Southern District of Indiana has zero change. Same USA, same assistants, same policies, same bullshit.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. the one remaining Bush-bot US Attorney in Ala. has a worse nominated replacement.

Leura Canary, the Bush-bot US Attorney, was very involved in the Siegleman prosecution.
Her husband, William Canary, is the head of the Alabama Business Council, the group that essentially
handpicks candidates to run for office. And connected to Rove.

From Legal Schnauzer:

"Montgomery lawyer George Beck Jr. now is the leading candidate to fill the post, which still is held by controversial Bush appointee Leura Canary; Mr. Beck works at Capell & Howard, a law firm that represents Leura Canary's husband and the Alabama Business Council--and is the office used by Karl Rove when he holds meetings in Alabama."

Snip..."Both Republicans and Democrats have objected to different candidates, and the White House has been unwilling to cross the state’s powerful GOP senators, according to a Democrat who has spoken to administration officials about the matter. The result has been the continued service of Canary, a bête noire of Alabama Democrats for her prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D), while the administration now considers a fourth candidate."

link:
http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-obama-about-to-make-terrible.html

Change-licious, eh?

[Lasher]

7. Holy shit, that's bad.

Republicans are using roadblocks and delays - the same tactics they are using in Congress to block legislation - to keep the Bush administration US Attorneys in office. And "the White House has been unwilling to cross the state’s powerful GOP senators."

:wtf:

[Fly by night]

8. ... and every day they delay making appointments, it gets worse.

[iceman66]

9. Even one would be too many!