Obama says he wants a bi-partisan government, diverse and not a bunch of Clinton re-treads. With that criteria in mind…….
My dream team:
Comey at AG–he is technically a Rep (though his actual politics are much closer to Dem and he used to be a Dem.) And Obama said he want GOP in cabinet and we all know Comey has balls to stand up for the Department when someone is about to cross a line. It would probably take SJC about a second to confirm him. He has been lecturing to just about anyone who will listen on a fairly detailed plan for restoring a culture of integrity and honor at DOJ.
Dave Kelley at Crim Div Chief–he is very plain vanilla and back to basics in his approach and the Crim Div set the general policies for how most criminal cases are handled. He is also very aware of process and staffing and budget. He would be a perfect person to set an overall tone for probity and uniform standards for prosecutions around the country.
Pat at DAG–it is DAG who usually decides if USA can deviate from Crim Div general policies. Pat is a "think outside the box" guy and should be the special cases person. He also has a nurturing side that would be very good for bringing out the best in each of the USA’s as DOJ tries to reform itself and chart a new direction back to honor.
Eric Holder at FBI. He knows the turf and the visuals tell the message that the policy reflects without a low information voter having to wade through the minutiae of the policy.
David Lawrence for Bureau of Prisons–currently at Goldman Sachs, and I doubt he would take the job–though he would be great at it.
Iglesias at DEA–or FBI if not Holder
Not sure about Civil Division, or the Civil Rights group.
I could totally groove on Jamie Orenstein, currently a Magistrate judge in Brooklyn, for OLC. He was a junior there during Clinton admin and did some really impressive work.
Hoping to see David Kris at either Pentagon or NSA. They need someone who understands the legal limts on signals intelligence.
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Pat who?
please – not comey. i don’t want anyone who’s hands are dirty on torture and locking people up in a military prison (a us citizen for crying out loud) wo access to lawyer.
where i’d like to see comey is on the dock having to answer for his actions. let him have a fair trial and clear his name if he can.
FITZ!
If I had my way, it would be lhp for AG!
Fitzgerald, methinks?
Spitzer to ‘oversee’ legal vice for public enjoyment…part of HomeLand Security.
apparently there are no women in this fantasy team?
did we just elect another old boys club?
Hillary?
I expect a lot of African Americans to get the nod who are Conservative as a sop to the GOP but would never think of voting GOP. I’m thinking CEO’s.
This way Obama can underscore the lack of diversity in the GOP and cherry pick maybe one or two really Good GOPers for WH jobs.
FITZ!
i’ll bite—even though ZED replaced it—
FITZ!!!
Think Gates might stay on?
Iglesias would be good at OPR too.
Well, it Fitz this and Fitz that, then I see Pat and all I can think is who dat?
[edit]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zo%C3%AB_Baird
Would she want the Job?
Patrick j. Fitzgerald
I know that his sins are great but Spitzer could sure be a help
Awe gee whiz, that’s sweet, but toally not happening
I got it now. Not too swuft over here.
pitter pat. pat.
((raven))
=====
lhp–i’m curious how many regent grads and their ‘kind’ will be gone/weeded out as of january.bet we don’t have any clue how many there really are.
Is there anyone Obama might promote from the African American Congressional Caucus? Someone who’s Governor is a Dem so we don’t lose a House Member?
Well, I did have Mary Jo White as an alternate, but thought she counted as a Clinton re-tread and, so took her off.
There is Karen Patton Seymour….
My first pick among the sisterhood would have been Cathy Sibel, who is WONDERFUL and adored by all who have ever worked with her but she just got on the bench, I don’t think she’s even had time to shake the wrinkles out of her new robes yet, sooo?
There is also Michelle Hirshman, she was the brains behind Spitzer’s success as NYS AG.
I have a list of accomplished women. But the slate I put up for DOJ involves a group of people whose strengths and weaknesses compliment each other to forms a whole that would be much stronger than the sum of its parts
Plus he has an axe to grind the guy is wealthy he doesn’t need the cash maybe a job in the Justice Dept that does not require a Congressional appointment.
Like investigating WallStreet.
It would be a step down for her. She is going to be major Playah in the senate
I wouldn’t mind seeing Leahy as AG
Agreed. His best point is he looks good next to the criminal swine in the bush DOJ sty.
That’s a $64,000 question
some people i’d like to see in prominent law enforcement positions are : dan coleman (fbi), alberto mora and charles swift.
I am sure that there is some computer there that could spit out who has been hired there since Jan 2000.
Yeah but Director of a quasi stand alone agency is higher up the food chain. I gave Iglesias a better job.
Senator Hillary Clinton as Attorney General – just so that I can see many Republican heads explode – and much shaking with fear.
You know what they say about paybacks . . .
too low a bar. lets go for the best we can think of.
KagroX thinks Obama needs to put a Dem in charge of defense. He made a good case, too, saying that all SecDefs have been repubs, and it makes dems look weak. We need that to be changed.
I’m with you selise (as usual). I’m a huge admirer of LHP, but it seems to me our vision has gotten terribly narrow and the bar is entirely too low after the last 8 years. Lets expand our vision a bit… surely there are more qualified honorable candidates to choose from.
As for adding women, wasn’t Janet Napolitano suggested long ago in these parts for AG?
Comey almost did the right thing 4 and a half years ago, but his threat was empty and BushCo carried on in their abuse of power. Iglesias, bless him, didn’t pursue dubious claims of voter fraud, but that doesn’t make him a starter for a progressive team. And for me this is where the rubber meets the road. No one has ever accused Obama of being a true progressive (FISA Amendments Act anyone?), so the question is where will the new center be: left or right? Lets at least start bargaining from a strong left hand…
who would you recommend?
I don’t know. If she felt she was unqualified (by virtue of these infractions–and I think she should have hung in there) back during Clinton, what would change that status now.
But if we bring back Zoe (who I would love to see on SCOTUS instead) we should also bring back the wonderful Kimba Wood.
that’s another thing–what’s left in the computers…..
and i was telling people at the local obama office about your canvassing…good job.
There was an article (waPo? AP?) last week or the week before about all these DOJ types suddenly getting themselves transferred to lower level, career typre positions.
This is called “burrowing in” where you basically try to hide until your party is back in power
OT.
Talk of putting some thought into a boycott of Utah for their efforts in California.
As well as the Marriott chain too.
-G
African American Congressional Caucus
We’ve seen good things from Artur Davis and Bobby Scott. Va has a new Dam gov, doesn’t it?
I really don’t know of anyone except what’s-his-name….A general who supported Clinton…
Fitz and the Chicago connection to Obama…Barack has got to be very familiar with Fitz’s work beyond Scoots Libby and Rezko. C’mon Barack, bring the hurt on the crooks!
that is exactly the kind of thing i mean, the ones given career positions that are not there at the ‘discretion of the president’. placed where it will be a ’stink’ to get rid of them.
I would love to see Janet Napalitano take McCain’s seat.
howdy phred! long time…
or even non-partisan when it comes to law enforcement. but no on with the slightest association with bush’s crimes…. unless it was to oppose them. certainly we can at least do that much?
Commerce Secretary – Paul Krugman
I think Dan Coleman would be a very popular pick with rank and file agents
Linky? I’m game.
Yeah, that “burrowing” requires someone very smart, and very aggressive to isolate them, make them horribly miserable so they quit, or find a way to legally get them out.
That alone will be a big job. No trying to play nicey-nice with those repugs – I want them out of govt.
Sec Def – Wesley Clark
When is McCain up for re-election to the Senate? Maybe she could do both — AG now, Senator in 4 years ; )
Wesley Clark for Sec Def?
loose head prop for…errr…whatever she wants
LHP, the folks burrowing down in the dept…when does their tenure begin? Can they include the time spent in the higher position?
That’s it.
AG – Christy Hardin Smith (Glenn Greenwald if Christy takes a pass)
what’s to boycott in utah? salt? minerals? mormans? skiing? listening to choirs?
: )
John @ Americablog is fielding some calls for a backlash against the LDS church, Utah and the Marriott chain.
Link:
http://www.americablog.com/200…..riott.html
-G
Kucinich for SecDef!
lhp, I would love to start boning up on good scotus judges, it would be nice to actually have a sticky post up somewhere for us to referance when obama has to make a choice.
the more informed the public is the more informed our critters are likely to be, the better the choice will need to be made
WH Chief of Staff – Markos Moulitsas Zúniga
Cool, I bet J.C Watts wishes he was a Dem now!
I would love to see kucinich doing something in the judicial, that would send quite the message that we are doing the research to hold criminals to account
I say tough as nails genius Democrat as USAG. Without investigation and accountability I think Obama will not have one of the main pillars the country will need to suceed.
I want to see some EO’s to undo some crap as well and free up the records that are the for the people and history not hidden or burned by presidents.
I want to see those 5 million emails in a trial as well.
I want him to run against Feinstein i ‘10.
Hiya selise –
I’m not suggesting partisanship in the sense of punishing political opponents, I’m simply suggesting casting a wider net looking for people with progressive values. Perhaps I am mistaken, but even in law enforcement there tend to be political choices made about where to devote resources. So for example the conservative crowd might devote more resources to cracking down on illegal immigrants in the workplace, while progressives might like to see more work done to pursue polluters in economically disadvantaged areas. It is about how we as a society choose to spend our limited resources. That was what by a strong left hand — not politically targetted in the Rovian sense.
i’ll second that one.
FCC Chairman – Lee Papa
completely agree. that is what i thought you meant, was just trying to clarify – but you did a much better job of it. am looking now for something from naomi klein where she said something similar to you – that our job is to move the center by pushing left proposals.
if they would take appointments, I would love to see cabinet positions for;
feingold
waxman
samders
fitz
I hope you find the Naomi Klein quote, she is far more eloquent than I am ; )
Just heard from a very reliable source that DiFi has an exploratory committee and is raising money to run for governor when Arnold is done.
Knew him, there is a definite reason he is no longer in congress.
I don’t think so, but am not really an expert in Fed persoanel rules. But the main idea in Burrowing in is to hide so that people forget you are there.
You want a job doing something really non controversial so you won’t get noticed
WH COS spot has already been offered to Rahm Emanuel
msnbc says he accepted as well
Bloomberg.com saying Summers for Treasury
Via TPM
Which makes these top spots that much more important. The rats need to be exterminated.
She’d be better than Schwartzenegger, I suppose.
Phred those policy choices are mostly made at the WH level not the AG level.
WH decides the “what”, AG decides the “how”
So, although the AG’s opinion will surely count and be heard when setting those priorities, policy choices are not how you pick an AG.
And he has accepted it. He’s in.
and a stake in the heart for the vampires
Sec of Health , Ed, and Welfare = Gov. Dr. John Dean
Heading up Health insurance effort – Elizabeth Edwards
Summer’s people have been floating his name all over the place
Slightly OT — RFK @ EPA???!!!
Obama considers stars for Cabinet, by Mike Allen:
OT
Nader asked on Fox news if Obama was going to be “an Uncle Sam for the people or an Uncle Tom for the corporations.” He is now officially disgusting.
or Dean = Surgeon General?
And what would anyone DO with the DHS????
I’m for dismantle and reorganize and RENAME the damned thing.
s
Rachel Maddow for WH spokesperson
THAT make a ton of sense. RFK Jr has been the Hudson River Rivekeeper 4evah and he teaches environmental law at Pace law school.
ANd he’s not a retread.
That is a great idea.
Hey, I thought this was fantasy!! (If this has to be realistic, I may have to rethink my choice of Lee Papa for FCC Chair…)
DHS should be dismatled. It is a failed experiment
I don’t think handing out sops is necessary or desirable. The DOJ is in such a mess that Obama has got to get the best ones in their right away to undo some of the damage by a succession of place-holders. I like LHP’s suggestions. Comey’s hands may be a bit dirty, but he held on the crucial warrantless wiretapping, when he was under immense pressure to cave. I like Fitz in his projected place, too. What a morale-builder their appointments would be!
Here’s the thing. Obama doesn’t owe many people at this point. He started from nothing, built his organization, raised his own money (by and large), and has built a powerful political machine outside the official Democratic Party. He’s not totally free to do what he wants, of course, but he has a lot more degrees of freedom than any recent president, including all the Republiks, who owed their place to Big Business, mall developers, and assorted crooks. In the longer term, he’s got to shore up his support among the working class, and make some inroads into what one blogger calls ‘Dumfuckistan’ (where men are men and sheep are nervous), but he doesn’t need to pander. Just delivering honest government should keep in him power. One step at a time, though.
I like Comey. I wouldn’t care if he was a Druid.
When I say fantasy, it’s my idea of a perfect team. A team that would work well together and that would have synergy
That may rid us of some of the burrowers.
Agree. HOMELAND is revolting.
What have you got against Druids?
They were unitarians back when the world was pagan.
dismantling DHS won’t eliminate the components. They will simply go back to their old agencies like Coast Guard or TSA or Immigration
Put FEMA on its own especially and at the cabinet level.
Shark jumping time. Nader is a bitter old fool.
Sorry, I believe in much of what he believes in, but sometimes people ruin their legacy.
That was it for me and Mr. Nader.
-G
i’ve thought that would be ideal for a VERY long time!
HEAR HEAR!
at the very least it has to be named “American security”
I cannot believe we harkened to nazi terms and it is offensive to me
O.K., now I understand. But Lee Papa is a uniter…
That was then. This is now. He IS the best we got. Unfortunately, he probably doesn’t want anything to do with gov’t right now.
Completely, lhp.
FEMA should not be listed or operational under or involved in any way remotely around the over bloated “terrorist list”, on which, I imagine, any of us are.
Bill Richardson will probably have a role. State or back to Energy?
I don’t want comity at Justice, much less Comey. We need blind Justice, with a big sword! Blood in the halls, massive purge, find out what they did to Siegelman (& who else), then do a 180 on voting rights & clean up Alabama.
Why not Spitzer? Send in the guy with nothing to lose for the tough stuff.
Sorry, wrong attitude.
Spitzer had sex, silly. That’s the worst thing you can do in America. If he would have just killed somebody it would have been OK, but he had sex.
Thanks for the clarification LHP — so what are your main criteria for choosing an AG? Also can you name anyone with solid progressive credentials who would meet those criteria?
i don’t blame him for becoming cynical and having a hard time believing that someone honest will be president in january. for many years fighting for changes, he watched people become their own worst enemy time after time….i clearly remember the things he said would happen back in the 70’s and 80’s–it did…he hoped and fought to keep it from happening and was disappointed …….so, i don’t blame him for it. would be a completely different world now if anyone in power had listened, even if they just listened to what would happen with advertising and corporations. he was right.
I’d rather he not appoint anyone presently in Congress so as not to take a chance on losing the seat. I still remember Clinton’s appointment of Lloyd Bentsen as SecTreasury in 1992. We lost that Senate seat; it’s been in Republican hands ever since.
I would like to see former Lt. Cdr. Charles Swift, JAG Defense Attorney in the Hamdan Case, In some DOJ position where he can do some good, if that’s what he would like. He was passed over for promotion, ending his Navy career, after doing his job well and courageously.
Actually CRC, Comey has been going around the country making a speech about how to restore a culture of integrity to DOJ.
I think he would love to return to the Dpet.
Late to the thread so if it hasn’t been already suggested — a triumverate for Head of Veteran’s Affairs: Raven, Norske, and Southern Dragon.
We could NOT, do better. IMHO. Question is….How to make it happen. Let’s have a plan?
too many things going on at once to find the naomi klein quote, but i’m pretty sure it was from her recent talk at the commonwealth club. you can listen via realplayer or mp3 (podcast). highly recommended.
colter on fox again, geraldo almost took her out the other day. really.
and another guy. having her on by herself now…. just a matter of time til someone cleans her clock.
god i am so glad i am not related to her.
==========
and what about former senator graham? he would be good somewhere.
the one i am wondering about is the am’badass’ador to the u.n.
and iraq. and afghanistan and israel and and and anywhere else we have troops and bush embedded war rooms.
long loud giggle at THAT one!
bill bradley on fox, he has a good brain. where could he be used?
nooo! not summers (although roubini did call it days ago). damn. we are so fucked.
Thanks selise!
since when does facilitating the indefinite detention and torture of a us citizen qualify as “a bit dirty”?
Spitzer is just as corrupt as anyone now at DoJ. He didn’t get convictions, he just browbeat Wall St. executives into plea agreements. The man’s a walking disaster and his sexual adventure is drawn from the same well as all his other behavior. Good riddance.
You betcha.
Here’s an interesting take on Obama on foreign policy.
http://antiwar.com/radio/2008/…..imondo-10/
Sorry, that is hard for me to believe.
Summers?!? Fabulous. Boy, I feel so much better now knowing we have a proper Village economist to really, you know, change things. Damn.
Main criteria for being AG
1) good lawyer
2) understands the DOJ culture the way it’s supposed to be
3) committted to preserving and engancing the legacy of robert Jackson who really created that culture of non partisan integrity, honor and fairness
4) must have the strength, courage and nerves of steel to speak truhth to power — up to and incluidng willingness to resign in protest.
OOOH, nice catch. I had almost forgotten about him.
Excellent idea
Plan, not yet. Thought I would put the idea out there and see if anyon e, like our many lurkers on Capital Hill and in the MSM picked up on it. Just testing the waters with my dream team
ecahn and phred – iirc, summers was responsible for getting stiglitz fired from the world bank (for not keeping his mouth shut). do either of you know if that is true?
see my 28. mora also.
Then I would suggest you read the transcript posted on CNN.com where Comey explains that Padilla was simply too great a threat for the courts to manage, so BushCo waved their magic wand and made him an enemy combatant, sans Constitutional protections (Padilla is a US citizen).
I reiterate that I admire LHP enormously, but I disagree vehemently that Comey is a person we want in DoJ — or anywhere else in government for that matter.
How about Bill Bradley to the UN? Or IRS, he did ovehaul the Tax Code when he was a Senator
listened to that one yesterday. :(
Yes, we disagree. I believe he was fed BUSH info. Do you even think that is possible?
let me introduce you to hugh’s list
http://www.netrootsmass.net/hu…..dals-list/
he’s in there somewhere. a couple of times.
yep, he’s loaded with skills, and an early obama supporter, saw the possibilities/potentaials in him.
selise — here is an article that talks about Stiglitz’ departure. Here’s a brief snippet:
Appreciate it. I’ll enjoy the spin. No offense.
No. There is no provision I am aware of in the Constitution that permits a President to declare by fiat that any citizen loses their rights just because he says so. No matter what Comey may or may not have been told, he should have known this enemy combatant nonsense was unconstitutional.
“As for adding women, wasn’t Janet Napolitano suggested long ago in these parts for AG?”
Napolitano would be a good choice. Hey, bmaz, got your ears on? Whaddya think? Mebbe dear LHP doesn’t know enough about the Wild West.
LHP, if you’re still around, does the crew you “nominated” have strong enough administrative skills to straighten out the staffing and DOJ and put it on the right course?
And yes, I knew who you meant by “Pat.” *g*
Aloha,
Bob in HI
oh, it’ll make your head spin.
hugh is a commenter here and a lot of pups contributed.
it’ll take you a while to read it and you’ll need a shower. and a breathmint.
thanks. gotta run, but will be back to read.
More importantly, he was deprived of info that he need to make his decisions. The info in the CnN transcript is what he was able to uncover after years of digging.
He made his initial Paddilla decsisons under great time pressure and without access to the info he needed.
No they turned out to be mistaked, but I don’t see how they were AVOIDABLE mistakes given the circumstances.
Phred,and Dleise are welcome to disagree with me. I feel very comfortable with my position on Comey. This is a discussion, not an echo chamber.
We don’t all have to agree all the time.
But I’m sticking with my support for Comey until I here a suggestion that strikes me as superior
When was the last time you were in DC? Just trying to get a handle on your perspective. No offense.
How about Carol Lam as AG and General Shinseki or General Taguba as Sec Def?
Yes!
gee. i’d think you’d have to, you know, actually read some of it before you’d have the evidence to characterize something as spin. btw, if you find any – spin that is – i hope you will contact the author to let him know.
Re: Comey – with Higazy, Padilla, the Padilla presser, Arar, silence about Clement’s assertions to the S. Ct., backing of Haynes for the torture judge opening on the 4th, etc. etc. etc. I get the heebie jeebies at the thought. Add on his childish observations about it being worse to have liberals like you than dislike you (like a kindergartener worried about cooties) and I just don’t get it.
I’m not really taken by anyone on the list with the exception of Kris. Kelley was pretty knee deep in the Padilla and al-Marri torture turnovers wasn’t he?
A UK paper indicated that Napolitano might have the AG inside track.
I guess in the end it doesn’t much matter – between McCain and Obama we just made a choice about what style of rug we were going to use to sweep torture under.
(((lhp)))
still really disagree with you. thanks for making that ok.
“Sec Def – Wesley Clark”
I second that motion. But I don’t think its gonna happen. I don’t know of any good reason, but I think Barack’s got his own defense man already on his team.
Bob in HI
Hi Bob! You must be pleased with Blue Hawaii today : )
We do keep forgetting that what people “knew” at the time was often very different than what they discovered later in time. The compartmentalization was (and will continue to be discovered to be) unlike anything we’ve seen before.
And, IANAL, but I’m guessing that what I know instinctively or because I want it to be so would survive rigorous evaluation by an Asst AG. Just guessing.
Thanks. Don’t mean to brush it off. Just getting back into this meat grinder of political discourse. I’ll get back to you with specifics if that is okay with you.
crc
I would LOVE to see Kucinich get a good position in the Obama Cabinet.
Bob in HI
Phred,
Comey’s mistake , made when he was USA SDNY,was that he sign a meterial witness warraant that allowed DO to arrest Padilla as he tried to enter the US. The MWW has all the normal due process protections. When Comey told the Wh that he needed info he did not posses in order to defend a Pedilla motioon to vacate the MWW, the WH declared Padilla an enemey combatant and took him out of Comey’s control.
Later, when Comey became DAG, he used his higher security clearance to try to unearth and declassify as much of the truth about what happened to Padilla as he could.
He did not cover up the Padilla stuff, nor did he violate the rules relating to classifeid amterials. He worked to get information declassified so that he could get the facts out.
His MISTAKE was signing the warratn when he did not have pewrsonal knowledge of the underpinnings of the warrant. he was told the pWhite House did. The WH lied to him.
No offense taken — didn’t realize DC operated under different laws than the rest of us ; )
actually, some of the ‘woman scorned’ or the ‘reformed smoker’ or the ‘lapsed christian holy roller’ kind of people hold others and themselves to a higher level, so, comey may be the guy…….people who made choices or decisions they regret tend to stick to their guns after that.
no lookin’ back and don’t let it happen again kind of thing.
if he fits that bill, then he would be good.
Yes! There’s a name for this strategy, and I think one of the words in the name is a “window”– I can’t remember the adjective, however. This is an important concept to remember. Can anyone help me here?
Bob in HI
Actually, you would have to see it to believe it.
rofl
boy, california, you are in for a reality check.
(what kind of cynical beings have you been around? cuz i surely didn’t pass it on to be shitty.)
omg.
selise–i left out the other part of the site on purpose……lol. man
“Sec of Health , Ed, and Welfare = Gov. Dr. John Dean”
Do you mean Howard Dean?
John Dean is a lawyer, IIRC
Bob in HI
Thanks for the post lhp, but I have to agree with selise on this. Comey was a stonewall on certain Constitutional issues, in a wingnut administration. I think we can do better.
Also, iirc, you trusted MuKasey and that hasn’t worked out too well.
Excellent idea.
Bob in HI
Sorry?
Good to see you here Mary — you have a much better grasp of the details of the legal airbrushing of torture than I do… Like you, I believe there are way too many skeletons in Dem closets for any proper accountability for torture under either Obama or McCain.
Here’s some foreign take on what they have been hearing about cabinet selections:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,,24604325-2,00.html
Napolitano gets the mention there.
147 – Padilla “initial” decisions and the Padilla press conf are two different things. Why did Nifong lose his license and Comey not? What about the Arar affidavit and the due diligence up on which it was based? The handling of the Higazy confession (think how close Comey was to turning him over, like Padilla, but for live burial and other crap in blacksites all because no one believed in the law anymore) is another one. Fitzgerald has laid the groundwork in the Salah case for all kinds of uses of coercion and sources who can lie to the courts with no recourse and no responsiblities.
Levin at least a) actually tried to bar torture, and b) actually corrected the record to Congress on waterboarding. Faint and likely feint as well, but lots more to be commended than any of the rest of the list. And Taft, at State, really tried to be a real lawyer – the antithesis of Bellinger.
But for today, I’m tired of fighting the fight. Let’s just annoint Comey as the new standard and all agree that this is the highest and best we can achieve. Bc I’ve pretty much lost belief in anything else.
All three have rubn USAOs. Comey has been DAg during a period whern Ashcdroft was REALLY physically ill, so Comey has run the Dept before.
patFitz ran his USAO AND a the office of SPecial prosecutor at the same time and spent a tiny fraction per month relative to what other Special prosecutors spent and unlike the others, actually made a prosecutbale case!
Dave Kelley is VERY administrative oriented.
Yes I think they have the managerail chops to do the gig.
Aloha my island friend
yep, that would be the right word, without the question mark. and it should be directed to selise…….
go back to comment 125 and start from there re-reading your responses, i don’t think you realize who you just insulted….one of the co-keepers of the site i gave you, and i also warned you that hugh is also a regular commenter here and that many pups helped make up that list, with mucho time and mucho research. but it’s basically hugh’s baby.
are you new here?
I agree. It’s not worth the fight at the moment. Now, how do we get the rest of what we need for the people? When you regain your strength, of course.
Yes, I am NEW. Sorry for the trouble.
Geez, LHP, that is a darn good list.
Thanks for your top post, and hanging with us in the comments!
Bob in HI
Thanks LHP. So lets say that Comey was trying to undo any damage he did by signing the warrant to begin with… Was his only option to join Bush’s DoJ? Could he not have worked to understand what was going on from the outside? I’m just curious… I am not a lawyer and will certainly defer to your knowledge of the mechanics of such things, but it seems to me that he might have had some alternatives — as a whistleblower, filing a complaint of some sort — rather than joining TeamBush.
I understand the argument that some may have joined the administration effort in the hopes of working to do good (or at least prevent bad) from the inside. I know he resigned eventually, but did he make any effort (prior to his Congressional testimony) to bring to light (or justice) the evil being done in our name by our government?
I agree the chance for accountability on past torture is slim to none. We still have a responsibility, however, going forward to insure that future torture does not happen. Mary, especially, has led that charge. With the able support of emptywheel and commenters such as phred, liberals have to continue that fight.
Selise, if you ever think I’m turning into one of those blowhards (yes, I’m looking at YOU Bill O’Rielly) that loses it just because some has a different point of view, you send me an email and smack me around.
‘Kay? Promise you will not let me pull anything like that. or send Mary, if you’r too busy.
no problemo, just wanted you to realize what it is…..we are a community here, all different, but we are a community for a reason. just read the list, will take a while. and on the same site you can find congressional hearings scheduling when they are back in session.and every monday morning on here. by selise.
welcome.
We’re liberal/progressives, we need all the help we can get. We got our butts kicked on FISA. IMHO Mary is one of the finest minds at FDL. phred isn’t far behind. There’s a wide variety of opinions on this site.
Welcome to the Lake. Feel free to click through the advertising.
I came late but seriously are there no good Demcratic lawyers out there? I agree with those who dislike Comey. In addition to not having any problems with unConstitutional treatment of detainees in the War on Terror, he along with Ashcroft and Goldsmith signed a letter supporting immunity for telecoms. Just because there was thing so horrendous that it even gave him pause does not suddenly turn him into a good guy and an upholder of the Constitution.
I think getting punked on Padilla made him wary enough to rush to the Hospital that night night and not hesitate to resign.
I think it was a case of “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”
I think anybody else would not have realized the need to rush to the hospital.
Indeed I am! We had a victory party in the lobby of the apartment building where Obama’s Grandmother died a few days ago. There was a nice ad hoc memorial to her there, too. Not planned, just appeared because it was wanted and needed by lotsa folks.
Bob in HI
Thanks. I do realize this is a different world now. It’s a good thing.
yes, that was a movie moment. definitely.
OMG and I think I repaeted that mistake a couple of comment s alter. [blushing furiuosly]
Yes, Sir. Good point. Who then?
yep.
and this place is different. different times of day even. cuz of the east coast/west coast thing.
relax in the waters of the lake, or sit on shore and talk. you are a ‘firepup’ now.
welcome to fire dog lake.
I never said I trusted Mukasey. I said he enjoyed a repoutation for intgrity.
I have appeared before him in court, but do not know him persoanlly and have no first hand opinion of Mukasey.
I do have a first hand opinion of most of the people I put on my dream team.I have seen their work first hand, I seen how they work together.
Thanks. I only do business with dems, if I can help it. I am ahead of the curve. Way out.
“But for today, I’m tired of fighting the fight. “
Mary, we need your fighting spirit. Or, at least, I do. I always read your comments, and am often educated and inspired by them. So please rest up, and then return and help us fight for what is right!
Ultreya!
Bob in HI
Thanks. You are dmac.
Aw shucks — thanks for the kind words Boo. Being compared to Mary is high praise indeed : )
Bob in HI@183 — good for you! You earned that party last night, even tinged with the sadness of Obama’s grandma not living to see his big moment. I’m certain she was beaming down on him all the same though : )
I just remember stuff like that because it was *Howard* Dean who energized me back in 2003 and got me re-involved in politics with his DFA. John Dean has some good chops, too, especially for a former Republican, but obviously different chops.
And while I’m at it, Kudos to Howard for his 50-state strategy for the DNC. That really helped set the table for Obama, didn’t it?
Bob in HI
28 – I’d like to see Mora too, but he’s had so much direct contact on the torture stuff that he’d probably end up having to be recused on too many fronts and a potential witness. He should be appointed to some kind of committee or position to head up a rework of the more shameful provisiosn of the MCA and some provide training and other input. You really need someone unassociated, either on the good or bad side, with the atrocities and Executive Branch crimes to date to be able to undertake a realistic approach that incorporate integrity, equity and long haul (vs short run political payoff) pragmatism.
Coleman in a fair world would get whatever he wants – the problem is that from the reporting, the things he seems to want aren’t the things you can confer politically. More power to him.
BTW – Laura Rozen has a piece up at MJ about Harman’s maneuvering for DNI.
http://www.motherjones.com/was…..cbama.html
159 – “when Comey became DAG, he used his higher security clearance to try to unearth and declassify as much of the truth about what happened to Padilla as he could” Huh? When? I haven’t seen anyone, other than in the Pentagon report that Comey probably saw, but answered “around” in the Padilla presser when asked about Geneva violations, who has made any effort whatsoever to do anything other than cover up what was done to Padilla – what “happened” to him. Just the pictures of the tooth episode – that, after YEARS of detention and YEARS of knowledge of the Zubaydah and Binyam Mohammed tortures and the “bucket swinging” details, all accessible to Comey as DAG in connection with his presser review, if not much earlier through his contacts with people like Cloonan and Coleman and related members of their task forces – those should turn a stomach. Complete sensory deprivation except in human interrogation experimentation settings – and Comey put a bland smile and an “aw shucks” sales job on it. When did he ever declassify things that were done to Padilla? I don’t buy it.
BTW – I’m thinking that with the UK investigation into the Binyam Mohammed torture, we might not want to have an AG who might figure too prominently in the investigation – but I’m probably wrong on that. That may go nowhere too. I will say, though, that when Bellingerco tried to blackmail the high court, saying that if defense lawyers with security clearance were given classified access for purposes of putting together closed courtroom defenses, “we” were threatening to have the US back out of intel sharing and knowingly letting terrorist attacks take place against the UK without giving a heads up, I had to love the court’s handling.
It told the UK journalists to reapply to have access to all the info that came out in the closed hearings, bc suddenly the court was thinking maybe it shouldn’t be classified at all, what with the criminal aspects invovled.
No wonder the Brits made the referral to Baroness Scotland – the alternative of having all the dirty laundry in the open had to have been daunting. But THERE is a court for you.
Ok, there seems to be some confusion here. DComey was a US Attoerney when he signed the warrant. He already worked for DOJ. He had worked for DOJ since the 1980’s through both Dem and Rep administrations. He was a career empolyeee.
He got promoted from being an AUSA in Virgina to being USA SDNY. It was while USA SDNY that Comey signed the warrant.
Later, he was promoted again to be DAG. I can’t give out the details, but basically Chuck Schumer was worried about what he thought might be going on at DOJ and asked Comey to take the promotion so that there would be agrown up there b/c Ashcroft was in over his head and being asked to sign things he did not understand.
So, Comey goes the Washington and trie s to sort out what all Ashcroft has been sining ans what the hell else is going on behind closed doors there and also uses his now found status to try to unravel some of the Padilla mess.
I think Comey got a lot of good done (or more accurately stopped a lot of bad) considering the very few tools he ad to work with
I would not give up hope on at least osme accountabitlty on the torture stuff. I have to hunt for it, but a dfew months back, there was an article in Salon about how the Obama foreign policy group decided they wanted to take a shot at some war crimes act investiagtiosn and black sit eaccountabitlityt.
We’ll see if that comes to pass, but I have not given up
LHP — thanks so much for the post and the discussion, I always benefit enormously from it. I am willing to entertain the possibility that Comey isn’t the devil incarnate (kidding!), but I still think that there ought to be principled experienced progressives (or at least Dems) that we should contemplate recommending for such high level positions, before turning to Bush appointees. I’m not opposed to Republicans in the administration, but DoJ has been particularly stained and I think the country would really benefit from some new leadership there.
I have to scoot, but wanted to say thanks again for the discussion… : )
I say let’s nuke the whole system and anyone associated with bush and start over. Kind of like Iraq. How’s that workin?
great post lhp, as always.
bob, you know i agree about appointing kuchinich somewhere.
take care pups
bbl
Kelley is a Dem. I think Kris is a Dem. Holder is a Dem. I think Lawrence is a dem–actually, he’s mostly a corperatist
Pat Fitz is no party. Like I said, Comey has been a Dem and is barely a Rep., if you talk to him he is quite socially liberal. The only real Rep in the lot is Inglesius.
BTW, in case anyone carres. I LOVE Hugh’s list
forgot–hang in there mary, the good part’s just gettin’ here……we need you for all of the trials that are coming, right? you know, all the frog-marching to come?
keeping my fingers crossed.
bbl.
i gave a copy to the head of the obama campaign here. had no idea it was so many pages when i went to print it, i had three sheets of paper left…….she gave me a ream of paper to replace it.
and passed it on to others.
good job hugh.
ok, really, bbl.
Re: my 196–There was break in Service for Comey, he was not a continuous Career employee, he wnt into the private sector after being an ASUA in SDNY and before he became ASUA in Va.
Much appreciated.
Thanx Phred.
I just cannot think of anyone who woulkd do a better job than he would
Thanks, didn’t Comey sell Padilla as a terrorist not once but twice? In addition to the dirty bomber charge, I thought Comey came back later and said that Padilla was planning to blow up apartment buildings. Of course, none of this had anything to do with what Padilla was finally charged with and convicted on in an extremely dubious judicial proceeding.
Aren’t there possibilities among the civilian Guantanamo counsels, some of the attorneys who have argued cases before the Supreme Court? What about someone like Erwin Chemerinsky the guy who ran afoul of Orange County ideologues? I know there aren’t a lot left but what about Democrats and liberals on the federal bench?
Isn’t Comey now counsel at Lockheed Martin?
Yes.
Per the WaPu Lockheed Puts Faith In Tough Lawyer
Yes he is
never at any time have i ever thought that. just was especially grateful for your tolerance of differing opinions today. it’s been a little tense around here with the elections and all. *g*
then it’s my bad. i should at least give you a day to settle in before treating you like a long timer. *g*
welcome.
and please don’t let me scare you off.
part of being able to do the job is having the trust and confidence of the public. even if i’m all wrong about comey – if he were running the doj, i wouldn’t have any trust in the legal system of this country. and i would advise others not to either.
that means not sending whistler blowers to doj, etc.
we americans so need to be able to have some reason to trust the legal system again – and comey just can’t do that. we need people untainted in anyway by the clusterfuck that the last eight years has been.
Criminal div. ?
you’re probably right – but i also want someone who wouldn’t have gone along with it, who would have fought it. and with so many people apparently willing to go along, i’d only trust someone who really did fight it. don’t know how to cut through that knot.
thanks for the link.
overton window
or maybe Homeland Security
Sounds more like the Council for Goth Affairs.
I wonder if Bob Kerrey would be interested. He’s a vet.
Interesting. Hmmm. I would hesitate to suggest anything and would prefer to ask him what he might like to do. A person like that usually already has interests. Maybe National Science Foundation or Dept. of Interior, who knows.
THAT would be interesting. She’s certainly got a resume.
215 – “and with so many people apparently willing to go along, i’d only trust someone who really did fight it”
It seems like hyperbole, but I don’t mean it that way when I say, that is the horror of what is left. Think how many there are in DOJ. Thousands. More thousands. More thousands. Lawyers with some of the finest training and resumes. Now go count the ones who did anything. Who said anything. Even after the Gonzales memos, and Abu Ghraib.
It’s such a shocking deficit that your point is really the ultimate one. The depth and breadth of the destruction wrought by the “heroes” like Jack Goldsmith (pining over Scherazade being able to “tell her tales” and Comey is pretty absolute. When there was fight – it came from unexpected places. Over and over from JAG – who had so much more on the line than anyone in DOJ. And now and then from lawyers like Sabine Willet, who came from an unlikely commercial bankruptcy realm of experience and ended up dismantling, brick by brick, at least some of the torture facilities that DOJ built.
You are left wondering who can be trusted, other than those who have already entered the fight. And I can’t offer up much on that front.
But it still will be a very bad thing to take someone who was at the heart of the Executive crimes, one way or another, and put them in charge of the institutional repository of justice, even if there doesn’t seem to be much left to loot.
yeah. and i just don’t trust anyone who didn’t fight. if i’m ever to have any trust in the system again – there will have to be someone at the top who did fight it. and i mean really fight – none of this trying to trim the excesses.
a doj with comey in charge will have no respect let alone trust from me.