Bjush announces new Acting AG: Clement out Keisler in, or from bad to worse

[cali]

Bush Announces New Acting AG Pick
By Paul Kiel - September 17, 2007, 12:31PM
Bush threw an unexpected change-up in his announcement this morning. Towards the end of his remarks about his nomination of Michael Mukasey as attorney general, he also said that outgoing Justice Department official Peter Keisler would serve as the acting attorney general until Mukasey is confirmed.

The administration had said that Solicitor General Paul Clement would serve as the acting attorney general. But Keisler, who announced his retirement from the Department two weeks ago, will apparently stick around in his stead.

That's a move likely to provoke Democrats, who had been signaling that they'd block Keisler's pending nomination to the D.C. Court of Appeals. Keisler was first nominated in last year and was renominated this year. Only this May, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) warned that Keisler's nomination was "controversial." As a result, Keisler will now be in the odd position as acting attorney general of having to deal with the Democrats who are holding up his still-pending nomination.

Among the strikes against Keisler for Democrats was the fact that he's a co-founder of the conservative Federalist Society. He also "oversaw the Bush administration's lengthy legal fight over the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay."

In March, Keisler, who has been serving as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and previously served as Associate Counsel to President Reagan, made an appearance on The Washington Post's front page. Keisler was one of the three political appointees fingered by a career prosecutor who claimed they repeatedly ordered her to take steps that weakened the government's racketeering case against tobacco companies.

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http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004201.php

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[intaglio]

1. Kick and Rec'd because

Bush is playing schoolyard games

BTW please edit the typo, thanks

[cali]

2. yep. that's exactly it.

trying to put pressure on the dems to confirm Mukasey by installing the worst of the worst.

[Richard Steele]

3. Bad always gets worse with this cabal. K&R

[Contrary1]

4. I like this comment:

EH wrote on September 17, 2007 2:18 PM:

"As unpalatable Keiser may be, I think it would be an excellent strategy (especially in a campaign year) to just leave him in his acting position to do more damage. Take as long as they like with the AG confirmation process. If Bush or anybody complains, they can just imply that maybe Bush doesn't think Keisler is competent for a longer term role."


Why not call their bluff? Keep Keiser busy testifying at hearings for the next 16 months.

[L. Coyote]

5. Is this an attempt to deflect attention from the new nominee. That's my bet.

Which means, there is something they don't want us to pay attention to.

On edit, placing a less desirable person in charge of DoJ also places more pressure on the DEMs to accept the nominee.

At the magic show, always watch the unseen hand. :rofl: