White House Deputy Counsel Resigns

[Zenlitened]

Source: New York Times

Daniel J. Meltzer, a top White House lawyer who has played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the administration legal team, is resigning next month and will return to his tenured position as a Harvard law school professor, the White House said on Friday.

Mr. Meltzer’s last day as the principal deputy counsel to President Obama will be June 1. Since the administration took office, he has worked on nearly every major legal issue the White House has handled, a sprawling portfolio that ranged from domestic policies to national security matters.

(snip)

Among other things, Mr. Meltzer played a leading role in the administration’s efforts to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and related policies affecting terrorism detainees.

He was also the White House’s main contact with the Justice Department’s powerful Office of Legal Counsel, which evaluates whether proposed policies would be lawful. The acting leader of the Office of Legal Counsel, David Barron, said that Mr. Meltzer had been a “super-calm presence” and a “very serious thinker about hard issues” in their work together.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/white-house-deputy-counsel-resigns/?hp

[truthisfreedom]

1. Hmm.

Doesn't really sound that good.

[Tx4obama]

2. He was going to stay only ONE year, he has to go back to teaching

The university where he is tenured at only allows professors to take off two years, then they have to go back to work.

From the article:

Mr. Meltzer’s wife did not move to Washington, and he has been commuting back to Boston since taking up the position in January 2009. In addition, because Harvard generally does not want its tenured professors to take more than two years off, Mr. Meltzer needed to return in time to resume teaching classes this fall.

He had originally promised to give just one year to the administration, but the current White House Counsel, Bob Bauer, asked him to stay on longer to handle the transition from Mr. Craig’s tenure, the White House said.

[JuniperLea]

3. Good catch...

Framing is everything.

[NJmaverick]

5. Thanks for posting the part the person posting this thread "forgot"

with out this the article is misleading, at best

[Zenlitened]

8. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with DU posting rules.

Or maybe you're just getting an early jump on your weekend smear-a-thon?

:shrug:

[NJmaverick]

10. Pretty sure the rules don't require critical information to be left out of the post

considering you "snipped" the CHOICE to leave out important information was clearly yours.

[Zenlitened]

11. Let me ask you this: Do you subscribe to Readers' Digest?

[QC]

16. Not enough pictures. n/t

[monmouth]

7. Too bad this info was left out. He served his President and is now returning

to work as was pre-arranged.

[Cha]

13. Actually it sounds like what it is..

A brilliant man who helped the White House with important legal issues who is now going back to his job as a professor as Harvard Law.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Shouldn't it read, "failed efforts to close Guantanamo".

Just sayin.

[saigon68]

6. Pushed around by a bunch of Viet-Nam Draft Dodgers

Joementum Limpmann et al

[FailureToCommunicate]

9. This is no big deal; this choice happens all the time with tenured staff on leave.

[KoKo]

12. How many more folks will Obama Admin...toss under bus who want to close GITMO?

disgusting.....

[EJSTES2005]

14. Whats disgusting is your logic!!!

He should just give up his career at Harvard doing something he probably loves and uproot his family and then retire in a few years..........Even after saying he would only stay for 1 year..........

Sure, stays a year and then some and now he is being pushed out...Did you even read the article ?

[Arkana]

15. What?

The guy is leaving to go back to teaching. Jesus, you couldn't even spare a moment to read the thread before posting the kneejerk "bash Obama" response, could you?