LA Times: Obama Expected to Appoint Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist As Gatekeeper to the Judiciary

[Joanne98]

by: David Sirota

Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 19:02

As the New York Times recently noted, an increasing number of cases that the judicial system deals with are focused on business. That's why the Chamber of Commerce spends ungodly sums of corporate cash trying to make sure that the judicial system is owned and operated by Big Business - and that's why this piece of news is incredibly troubling:

The likely nominee to head Justice's Office of Legal Policy, Mark Gitenstein, worked as a lobbyist for the between 2000 and 2008, helping his firm earn more than $6 million in fees, according to federal lobbying records. The business alliance has pushed the White House and Congress to appoint judges and enact legislation that would make it harder for plaintiffs to sue large corporations and collect large damage awards, raising concerns from some activists.

In recent years, he also has served as counsel to the chamber's Institute for Legal Reform, which pushed for changes in federal litigation rules and adding business-friendly judges to state courts.

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http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=73608E704C2FC89AB1D6DF634E96B05D?diaryId=11488

[barbtries]

1. i don't like the sound of this at all.

i feel so helpless.

[msongs]

2. CofC = mouthpiece of wingnuts of the hate working people class nt

[w4rma]

3. This is a lobbyist. I remember a campaign promise, promising none of these. (nt)

[LSparkle]

4. Sadly, he's already broken that promise ...

and now looks to be doing it again. NOT GOOD.

And at the same time the Labor Secretary's nomination
is being held up ... DISAPPOINTED ... DISAPPOINTED.

[yurbud]

5. where are the DLC spinners to explain to us why this is in our best interest?

[Still Sensible]

6. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit

This appointment, if it happens, would in no way violate the WH ethics policy nor would it require an exemption (like the deputy DOD appointment did)... this individual's past lobbying has no relation to the job or department he would be going into.

Obviously, Sirota hates Barack Obama as he has done nothing but slam him in every way since he was elected. And in this case he pulls the old political tactic of trying to make something meaningless sound sinister.

[w4rma]

7. This individual's past lobbying for the Chamber of Commerce has a HUGE impact on this position. (nt)

[Still Sensible]

8. Please explain. I don't see it.

[w4rma]

11. Are you dense or faking it?

"The business alliance has pushed the White House and Congress to appoint judges and enact legislation that would make it harder for plaintiffs to sue large corporations and collect large damage awards, raising concerns from some activists."

[Still Sensible]

12. No, I get that certainly

but how freaking far do you take this. Anybody that ever says any good word one about business is somehow ineligible? He's taking a job at Justice. His boss at justice will direct the focus of the job he does. This justice department will be vetting and promoting judicial appointments that will not be of the kind we've suffered through for the better part of three decades.

Can I see why activists have concern, absolutely. And they should hold Holder's feet to the fire to make sure those fears aren't realized.

As to the concerns you specifically note in your reply, do you have evidence that this nominee pursued those things you mention or other reprehensible pursuits, or is it just that since he comes from a Chamber of Commerce position he must be evil? If there are in fact specific actions in this person's history that would disqualify him, so be it. But I refuse to condemn the guy just because he has represented business interests.

The justice department deals with cases involving people from EVERY walk of life. It wouldn't matter to me if this nominee had been a union attorney, or a doctor, or a peace activist, or a plumber.

Now if he was getting appointed to be the deputy attorney general in charge of SEC cases? Yeah, then I'd say disqualify him.

[4lbs]

9. How does the Chamber of Commerce impact the Judiciary?

n/t

[w4rma]

10. Are you kidding me? What kind of judges does the CoC lobby for?

C'mon. Think really hard. What kind of rulings are CoC-leaning judges going to make?

[Baby Snooks]

13. Did Obama switch parties between the election and the inauguration?

He is beginning to look more like a Republican than a Democrat.