bush nominates an Abramoff prosecutor

[AnnInLa]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20060125/D8FBUR3OD.html

Abramoff Prosecutor Among Bush Nominees
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Jan 25, 4:28 PM (ET)

By DONNA DE LA CRUZ


WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Wednesday nominated one of the Justice Department's lead prosecutors in the Jack Abramoff corruption probe to a U.S. District Court seat.

Noel Hillman, chief of the department's public integrity section, was nominated for the federal judgeship in New Jersey, where he served in the U.S. Attorney's office under Michael Chertoff, now secretary of Homeland Security.

The White House was poised to nominate Hillman last summer, after New Jersey's two Democratic senators took the opportunity to weigh in on Hillman and other nominees in exchange for lifting their objections to another candidate Bush had nominated in 2003.

White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said the president makes all his nominations in a timely manner and was ready to move forward with these, adding that Bush was pleased to work with Sen. Frank Lautenberg and former Sen. Jon Corzine, now governor of New Jersey.

Hillman will step down as chief of the public integrity unit next week, but remain in the Justice Department's criminal division until he is confirmed, a department official said. Andrew Lourie, a career prosecutor in Miami, will lead the public corruption-fighting office on a temporary basis, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss personnel matters.

more at the link above.....good grief

[DemInDistress]

1. will this be quid pro quo? this scumbag bush needs a lesson

in something,,what is the word I was looking for?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Oh for heaven's sake!

[movonne]

3. Maybe this is why the Abramoff was shopping his pictures with bush

around...he wanted bush to appoint is judge..

[punpirate]

4. Let's back up and revisit history...

... it was Bill Bradley who strongly supported New Jerseyite Sam Alito for the 3rd Court of Appeals in large part because Alito was from New Jersey, and absent any real investigation of Alito's background.

Now, Bush is "pleased to work with" other NJ pols to get Hillman out of the picture--because the federal judgeship is in New Jersey? Since when should geography dominate a discussion which should be about both merit and motive?

It would be a genuine conundrum for these people if Hitler's lawyer were from New Jersey, with Alito's spot opening up and all....