Bush nears decision on Gonzales replacement: aides

[Klukie]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who has defended the administration's policies in the war on terrorism, has emerged as a top contender to replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, congressional and administration officials said on Tuesday.

President George W. Bush is expected to nominate a successor to Gonzales as the nation's top law enforcement officer soon, although a White House official said it was unlikely an announcement would come this week.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1144974420070911

[pinto]

1. This will be one roundhouse of a confirmation hearing. The politicization of the DOJ

is the black heart of this Administration.

[tridim]

2. Theodore Olson?

Good thing it's not Ted Olson. :eyes:

[cali]

3. All this is going to do is royally piss off

Leahy and the rest of the Committee members. The admin's gotta know that it's more than likely that Leahy won't even let this get to Committee unless they give in and provide requested info.

Hmm. I wonder if they're doing this just so they can keep Clement in as Acting AG, thus making, in essence, a recess appt. without the headaches of one.

[pinto]

5. Interesting point. I don't think there's a time limit specified to appoint a

permanent, replacement head of a federal Dept.

[pinto]

4. Membership, Senate Committee on the Judiciary:

Patrick J. Leahy
CHAIRMAN, D-VERMONT

Edward M. Kennedy
D-MASSACHUSETTS

Arlen Specter
RANKING MEMBER, R-PENNSYLVANIA

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
D-DELAWARE

Orrin G. Hatch
R-UTAH

Herb Kohl
D-WISCONSIN

Charles E. Grassley
R-IOWA

Dianne Feinstein
D-CALIFORNIA

Jon Kyl
R-ARIZONA

Russell D. Feingold
D-WISCONSIN

Jeff Sessions
R-ALABAMA

Charles E. Schumer
D-NEW YORK

Lindsey Graham
R-SOUTH CAROLINA

Richard J. Durbin
D-ILLINOIS

John Cornyn
R-TEXAS

Benjamin L. Cardin
D-MARYLAND

Sam Brownback
R-KANSAS

Sheldon Whitehouse
D-RHODE ISLAND

Tom Coburn
R-OKLAHOMA

[Olney Blue]

6. Isn't it a conflict of interest to put Ted Olson in this position, seeing as

his wife was killed on 9/11? It bothers me.

Not to mention his other flaws.....

[Mend]

7. a toss-up between Mark Foley and Scooter Libby...both are free (unfortunately)

[msongs]

8. no response to subpoenas = NO NEW attorney general if the dems had nerve nt

[cali]

10. Well, as I pointed out

Leahy has already said no information requested on Warrentless wiretaps and attny firings, he won't be able to hold the hearing because he won't have the info they need to get the right person in. But as I also noted, I can't help but wonder if this isn't exactly what bushco wants. That way he gets the very loyal Paul Clement.

[Bitwit1234]

9. I don't think he will be confirmed....I don't think the dems will

confirm any AG. And boy will the republicans moan and you know what.

[durablend]

17. Puh-leez...they'll confirm whoever Bush wants

And precisely because the right will piss and moan otherwise.

Ain't no way they're going to jeopardize 2008 by letting the other side say bad things about them.

:sarcasm:

[aquart]

11. Who? WHO will the American people hate most?

Oh, it must be so hard to choose.

[rpannier]

14. Brownie!!!

He did a heckuva job at FEMA.

Imagine what Brown can do for the DOJ.

[kurth]

12. He'll nominate his dog

cuz unlike Caligula, he doesn't own a horse.

[rpannier]

13. Damn

I submitted my name and he hasn't called me to tell me if I made the cut.

I guess I'm not gonna get that job either.

[momster]

15. 9/11 Widower

That's going to be used over and over and over again as a reason why they should confirm him. Never mind that he's remarried, never mind that it has nothing to do with his qualifications...watch the righties use that in every statement, every press release, every leadup to questioning, ad nauseum.

[PATRICK]

19. And what's the reality?

A stooge election fixer. That makes him the most qualified and in your face determination to use the DOJ only to thwart elections. The timing of floating this one on 9/11 was grossly insulting considering what otherwise first springs to the fore about this Bush pal.

The ones Bush is seriously floating are all gross insults and signs of the same determination to have an anti-AG crony continue to despoil democracy and rights.

[defendandprotect]

16. Has to be Olsen to keep things covered up -- !!

Happily, they do seem to have enough Republican Whistle Blowers to give them trouble --
Let's hope mroe of them put their lips together and blow --

[Lasher]

18. This would have been my guess

[rocktivity]

20. No Gone-zo info, no confirmation

The Dems can't possibly help pick the best successor if they have no idea what Gone-zales was doing!

:headbang:
rocknation

[paulthompson]

21. Look what Olsen has said

Check this out. From a Sydney Morning Herald article in 2002:

The United States Government's top lawyer has said that officials have the right to lie to American citizens, telling the US Supreme Court that misleading statements are sometimes needed to protect foreign policy interests.

"It's easy to imagine an infinite number of situations where the government might legitimately give out false information," the Solicitor-General, Theodore Olson, told the court on Monday.

"It's an unfortunate reality that the issuance of incomplete information and even misinformation by government may sometimes be perceived as necessary to protect vital interests."


Lying to the public is all right, says Washington's chief lawyer
By Mark Helm
Sydney Morning Herald
March 20, 2002
http://www.citizenreviewonline.org/mar_2002/lying_to_the_public_okay.htm

[Maeve]

22. Reid says he'll block Ted Olson if nominated

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070912/pl_nm/bush_gonzales_dc_7;_ylt=ApFoW1Jl9DczS05obo31VggE1vAI
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid vowed on Wednesday to block former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson from becoming attorney general if President George W. Bush nominates him to replace Alberto Gonzales.

Congressional and administration officials have described Olson as a leading contender for the job as chief U.S. law enforcement officer, but Reid declared, "Ted Olson will not be confirmed" by the Senate.
"He's a partisan, and the last thing we need as an attorney general is a partisan," Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told Reuters in a brief hallway interview on Capitol Hill.
------------
I would certainly hope so! :argh: