Comments on: Grassley “Gets” Why the Holder Nomination is Just a Dumb Idea

By: MarkH

MarkH — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:43:58 +0000

I was grooving on the Daschle news

I wonder if a former senator is up to running one of the largest departments. I hope he is.

By: radiofreewill

radiofreewill — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:33:46 +0000

Grassley does get it - and he’s saying, as plain as day, that he’s ready for a return to principled enforcement of the Rule of Law.

He’d vote with US to support a proper renewing of the Department, he’s saying, if we’ll start by placing an Iconic Leader at the Head of the Operation.

I’m with you, lhp, this was a ’miss’ by BO - he could have done better…

Nice threadcraft, btw, you remind me of Walter Payton - he didn’t like to get hit, but he scored!

By: demi

demi — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:14:08 +0000

Next week is Thanksgiving! Turkey tacos. I hope you have family/friends plans.
I fake it. Fortunately, I’m not a shopper or a clothes horse. I’ll be fine, but I thank ye again.
A kind heart and open mind is all I need in a friend.

By: californiarealitycheck

californiarealitycheck — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:08:06 +0000

wow, i may rethink comey. appreciate the feedback.

By: californiarealitycheck

californiarealitycheck — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:05:42 +0000

gee, i wish you didn’t make sense. i know many wrongs have been committed. the americun people let that happen. that is what i struggle with. public is just plain stupid. i vote for education. it will take a long time.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:05:23 +0000

I remain amazed at the Comey thing – his Padilla presser was easily as egregious as Nifong’s presser, but he got grins and giggles instead an ethics review and censures. His handling of the “investigation” into the Higazy interrogations (as something the dept could be proud of?????) set the tone for “never say you’re sorry even if you are poised to send some poor schuck out to be sexually abused and disappeared into depravity” stances of the administration on everything else that came up. His earlier Padilla hand off with eyes wide open that it was disappearing an American citizen into torture – and never an apology. His direct involvement in heading the lit cover ups on the Arar rendition to tortures. His backing of Haynes for the 4th Circuit, even after Haynes was fibbing to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the working group memo and the torture policies that went to Gitmo without JAG approval. His backing of the FISA sellouts. His backing of a “new improved” wiretap plan while at DOJ that is the self-same “new improved” plan that Judge Diggs-Taylor declared a clear cut Fourth Amendment violation. His failure to ever, in any public statement, advocate for punishment of Exec Branch torturers. His acceptance of the Bush position that Bush could declare the law.

How does that not give the creeps?

By: bobschacht

bobschacht — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:02:02 +0000

Mary,
Thanks for taking the time to write this detailed summary. I found it very helpful.

Bob in HI

By: californiarealitycheck

californiarealitycheck — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:01:56 +0000

can’t do el coyote tonight. next week mebe. had some work here in sd. don’t know what ya do but ya got ta eat. la is a big place. don’t think i can help there.

By: ChePasa

ChePasa — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:58:07 +0000

Revolution — that you don’t advocate — has already taken place.

That’s what the Bush Regime has been all about. Still is. They set out on a program to remake the entire government in their preferred — autocratic — image, and they didn’t let anything or anyone stand in the way. What we’ve got now — at Justice most obviously and dangerously — is their legacy. It is a lawless, corrupt and politicized institution, beholden to the Busheviks and infested with loyalists and fellow travellers from top to bottom.

Holder, being familiar with the institution on the inside, and at least saying some of the right things about what’s wrong there and what has to be done, may well be the right person to oversee the dissolution of the Bushevik “Justice” Department and remaking it from the ground up.

But I don’t know that that’s what the Obama White House has in mind.

Revolution is most certainly was what the Bush White House had in mind, and they did it. Very successfully.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:55:36 +0000

119 – that would be my “druthers” too, but keep in mind that you are talking about a lawyer who presumably is one, unlike the AGs and DAGs of the past 8 years, who will actually be paying attention to the code of professional conduct. If they’ve been and currently are even, counsel for parties adverse to the US on detention and torture procedures, that same lawyer can’t jump into the seat of giving advice to the US on — detention and torture procedures and prosecutions. It’s not right. And there are plenty of good lawyers who haven’t been directly invovled in the torture and detention cases.