NPR: Obama To Nominate A Defender For Whistle-Blowers

[dennis4868]

A federal office that ran aground under the Bush administration is about to get a new leader. The White House plans to nominate Carolyn Lerner to run the Office of Special Counsel, which represents federal whistle-blowers and other victims of discrimination within the government.

Whistle-blower groups applaud the nomination and call it long overdue.

"She's a great choice," says Debbie Katz, a private lawyer who represents government whistle-blowers. "She's going to have her work cut out for her."

Katz, who is familiar with Lerner's work, says the new special counsel "has a lot to do to restore credibility in this office, to make federal employees willing to go to that office with their complaints. The morale in that office is terrible now."

The rest of the article is here...http://www.npr.org/2010/12/15/132058706/obama-to-nominate-a-defender-for-whistle-blowers

I thought DUers told me that Obama is just like Bush? Hmmmmmmm......

[Pirate Smile]

1. Kick & Rec

[hlthe2b]

2. Good on Obama Admin for this step. K&R, but....More More!

re: "thought DUers told me that Obama is just like Bush? Hmmmmmmm......" This is a step in the right direction, but much more is needed, given his maintenance of Gitmo, warrantless wiretaps, failure to prosecute for torture, the debacle that is the pursuit of Assange, and on and on. A step in the right direction. Please give us more (and soon).

[TheWraith]

4. Okay, that needs debunking.

"much more is needed, given his maintenance of Gitmo"

Literally his FIRST order of business was to order it closed. Congress passed a bill prohibiting the use of any funds to close it.

"warrantless wiretaps"

A program which was discontinued.

"failure to prosecute for torture"

Nobody was going to attempt to prosecute a former president, if only for the horrible precedent it would set.

"debacle that is the pursuit of Assange"

Which has nothing to do with us. The US has not filed any charges against him.

[hlthe2b]

5. Gullible... but I credit your intense efforts...

to belie any criticism, even that which is constructive.

--To say we are not involved in Assange's current incarceration behind the scenes is incredible to me. The overseas newspapers have noted how improbable that is. Our own MSM stenographers have not, of course.

--Gitmo could/should have been closed. It has not (through reshuffling of available defense funds) for the same reason the administration is fighting against bringing detainees to the US to face trial. The RW backlash is too intense. This I can at least understand, but it doesn't change the fact that Obama has backtracked.

--Obama admin has maintained and defended court challenges (losing at least one recently) on the warrantless wiretaps.

I support Obama. He is undoubtedly an incredible improvement over what we've faced with Bush*, but that does not mean he does not have a long way to go to meet his potential and promises made to all of us.

[Beetwasher]

3. Corporate Whor.!!!..Oh, Wait...

nt

[catgirl]

6. K&R