Obama announces six US attorney nominations
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The first six Obama administration nominees for U.S. Attorney posts were announced Friday to replace top federal prosecutors named by President Bush.
The nominations were disclosed on a day the controversy over the 2006 U.S. attorney firings re-surfaced. Only hours after Bush White House political advisor Karl Rove was questioned by a federal prosecutor about his knowledge of politically-influenced firings, the White House issued its first list of attorneys to replace Bush appointees.
Heading the list is Pareet Bharara, who served as chief counsel to Sen. Charles Schumer during the time the New York senator led the Democratic battle against the Bush administration for employing political considerations in hiring and firing at the Justice Department.
Bharara, if confirmed, would head the crucial U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, which prosecutes high-profile Wall Street crimes and major terrorists. The office, often referred to by Democrats and Republicans alike as the "Sovereign District of New York," has wide prosecutorial discretion and is noted for its legendary independence from the bosses at the Justice Department in Washington.
Other nominees announced Friday were Tristram Coffin for Vermont, John Paul Kacavas for New Hampshire, Paul Fishman for New Jersey, Joyce Vance for the Northern District of Alabama, and Jenny Durkan for the Western District of Washington.
Updated at 5:30 p.m. with additional information.
you guys know you already did this one, right?
What??!?!?! They didn't go to a fake christian "law school" that only just recently earned an accreditation and will probably lose it if anyone looks closely enough at how they muddle the separation of church and state concept in their ConLaw classes?
And what about George W. Bush for the lead post?
Barack Obama in August, 2008 at the Saddleback forum: "I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas. I don't think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time for that elevation. Setting aside the fact that I profoundly disagree with his interpretations of a lot of the constitution. I would not have nominated Justice Scalia though I don't think there is any doubt about his intellectual brilliance. Because he and I just disagree." - let's hope the media remembers that quote and rates these candidates by that standard Obama set before he was elected. Basically, Obama said then he would appoint someone more qualified than Thomas who has opinions he can agree with.
Wait you mean Obama FIRED some US Attorneys?? This needs to be investigated!!
..., and for Alaska we have....
...come on we have to have somebody to fight the "Guardian of the Great Northern Frontier!"
...fake "Christian School of Law" graduates contributed to the mess we're in. If we didn't have them at DOJ-HQ, then we would have gotten real law school grads that would have observed the "Law of the Land."
Give me a break REPUGS!
Well we know how much support we will get from the Repos. No No No
snifft , you are so funny..
Congrats to the appointments...of course I have to wonder what 'deals' were made after reading the association with Schumer...
lol....
First of Terry, Rove was being questioned to determine if there was any political motivation in the firings, you are jumping the gun a bit by accusing him of this. I am sure whoever obama picks will be on board with all the left wing retoric and will rubber stamp anything coming out of the white house. Just outragous.
More than 100 die in Somalia clashes,Mogadishu's bloody week,Scared Somalis running out of food as battles rage
Mogadishu's bloody week...Warning Pictures..Mogadishu's bloody week...Warning Pictures
I trust President Obama, and hope his selections are confirmed.
Obama 2012
I hope they can talk out of both sides of their mouths.
Cool maybe we can get some honest U.S. Attorneys after 8 years of cronies and crooks.
And would the democrats please explain why Karl Rove is being investigated over the firing of U.S. attorneys when Obama is doing the same?
Mr. Fishman, congrat's! I'm in. South Jersey