Report: White House Eyeing Replacement AGs

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS

Republican officials – at the request of the White House – have begun interviewing candidates to succeed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, reports CBS News partner Politico.com.

Among the candidates being considered by administration officials are Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and White House anti-terrorism coordinator Frances Townsend, according to the report.

Gonzales' hold on his job grew more uncertain Monday as the Senate debated removing his authority to unilaterally name U.S. attorneys. The White House said it merely hoped he would survive the tumult.

Asked if Gonzales had contained the political damage from the firing of eight federal prosecutors, White House spokesman Tony Snow said, "I don't know."


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/19/politics/main2583397.shtml

[rurallib]

1. Is there finally a situation that Snow can't lie his way out of?

[jimshoes]

2. It won't be for lack of trying

that's for sure.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Isn't it odd

the more one of bush's appointed "buddies" support him the quicker he lets them go.

Katherine Harris. Practically gave bush the OK to go ahead in Florida vote. No support when she ran for the senate.

Michal Brown. Took the blame for bush's inaction for Katrina. Let go.

Rumsfeld. Took the blame for bush's screwed up Iraq war. Let go.

Powell. Wouldn't go along with bush and the war. Asked to resign.

Dang how many more have we seen that resigned because they wanted to spend more time with their family.

[Divernan]

4. Here's some background on Frances Townsend

It's hard to find anyone more frightening than Chertoff - given his cold-hearted attitude toward NOLA during Katrina; his very strong religious family background and upbringing which I think would make him particularly harsh toward Muslims; and the fact that he WAS the author of the Patriot Act.
Frances Townsend (age 46) is the current Homeland Security Advisor to United States President George W. Bush. Townsend was appointed to this position by President Bush on May 28, 2004. She seems to be another in the mold of those career women with whom Bush is comfortable.

(from wikipedia.org)

Townsend graduated cum laude from the American University in 1982 where she received a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Psychology. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1984. In 1986, she attended the Institute on International and Comparative Law in London, England. In 1994, she married lawyer John Townsend; the couple have two sons, ages 9 and 3 years old.

Townsend began her prosecutorial career in 1985, serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. She chairs the Homeland Security Council and reports to the President on United States homeland security policy and counterterrorism policy. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism. She came to the White House from the United States Coast Guard, where she had served as Assistant Commandant for Intelligence. Prior to that, Townsend spent thirteen years at the United States Department of Justice in a variety of senior positions, her last assignment as Counsel to the Attorney General for Intelligence Policy.

In 1988, she joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York where she focused on international organized crime and white-collar crime cases. In 1991, she worked in the Office of the Attorney General to assist in establishing the newly created Office of International Programs, the predecessor to the Executive Office for National Security. In December 1993, she joined the Criminal Division where she served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Attorney General and played a critical part in establishing the Division's international training and rule of law programs.

[Divernan]

6. Townsend's husband is partner in high-power DC firm

When I saw that their 2 sons were so young, I thought well, maybe their dad has a low key law practise, so he's able to provide extra parenting - a Mr. Mom situation like Mary Matalin and James Carville worked out. I just looked up his detailed bio, and this guy has got to be putting in 60 hour weeks - international clients, publishing articles, professional activities out the wazoo. Sounds like the two of them are high achieving workaholics - which is their choice, but I do feel sorry for their 2 young sons - hope their nannies are exceptionally warm and nurturing. I worked with a lot of lawyers like this - and their kids were grievously neglected, as were their wives if they were stay-at-home moms. The thing is, this guy has got to be making so very much money, that he and his wife could easily afford for her to take 5/10 years off the fast-paced career track (I say her, not in a sexist way, but because he's got to be making about 10 times what she's earning as a government employee. If she wants to keep her mind active, the government has a lot of half time jobs for lawyers - and many women take advantage of this when they have small kids. A lot of women with whom I went to law school chose to cut way back on their work hours when their kids were small.

It's a financial sacrifice which unfortunately many families can't afford - but the Townsend family could. I stayed home with my kids, and later in life I passed up some higher paying career opportunities and took early retirement because I was primary caregiver for my elderly Mom.

This has nothing to do with what kind of AG she would make - but it indicates to me where her priorities are. Along the lines of Money trumps Peace; Money also trumps Parenting.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. "All headlines News" is saying that Gonzales has resigned, but

no one else is. I think they've jumped the gun.

White House Reportedly Seeking Alberto Gonzales Successor

White House Reportedly Seeking Alberto Gonzales Successor

March 19, 2007 9:06 p.m. EST

Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer
Washington, DC (AHN) - According to party sources, at the behest of the White House, Republican officials have begun looking for the replacement of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The names that reportedly cropped up as a successor include Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, White House anti-terrorism coordinator Frances Townsend, Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson and former solicitor general Theodore B. Olson.
....

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has since apologized and resigned and it is expected that Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty will also soon step down.

[rodeodance]

7. chertoff or Townsend. whow--

[rainbow4321]

8. Saw a rumor on another site

that chimp has already been interviewing potential replacements...hmmm, any news video of a crowd of people leaving chimp's plane lately??


http://members.aol.com/deawatch/daily.htm

14 Mar 2007, 11:29 PST

Watch Air Force One... Bush knows his office is unsecure, as well as David. He prefers to hold secret conferences at Crawford or on AFO. Suggest you have your AF eyes watch to see who boards AFO. Word in the building is he has invited one person and three decoys to board soon. This one person is to be interviewed for Gonzo's job if things don't get better in Main Justice.


14 Mar 2007, 13:28 PST
There is word on the street that Asa Hutchinson is among the names being considered for AG to replace Gonzalez.


15 Mar 2007, 15:02 PST
Asa would be a good choice for two reasons: 1) He is a Bush toadie. He was one of the few 2006 candidates who invited Bush to campaign for him... and he lost because of that decision. Bush owes Asa. 2) Asa is one of the few who have left the Bush Admin during his first four without a cloud over his head.

[aquart]

9. Asa. Clean?

You sure?

[rainbow4321]

10. **I'm** not sure of anything

Just sharing the posts that someone else put on that link/site.