White House Approved And Planned For Attorney Firings

[kpete]

White House Backed U.S. Attorney Firings, Officials Say

By John Solomon and Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, March 3, 2007; Page A01

The White House approved the firings of seven U.S. attorneys late last year after senior Justice Department officials identified the prosecutors they believed were not doing enough to carry out President Bush's policies on immigration, firearms and other issues, White House and Justice Department officials said yesterday.

The list of prosecutors was assembled last fall, based largely on complaints from members of Congress, law enforcement officials and career Justice Department lawyers, administration officials said.

........................
Although the White House approved the firings, two administration officials said the counsel's office did not suggest replacements. But the officials said White House political affairs officials keep databases on potential job candidates that Justice Department officials could have accessed if they chose.

An administration official said White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten does not recall whether he was briefed about the firings before they occurred.



more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/02/AR2007030201949.html

[Felinity]

1. Glad to hear the WH isn't totally our of touch K&R

:sarcasm:

Warnings about terrorist attacks? Time for golf.

Wounded troops living in black mold? Form an investigatory committee (don't forget to cater lunch!)

Tornadoes in Alabama? Photo Op!

US attorneys going after Rethug lawbreakers? Immediate firings. ON THE CASE.

[Hugin]

2. Last fall, eh?

Like when those idjuts lost control of Congress and realized that the Federal Prosecutors were soon
to be investigating Them?

Unbelievable!

But, it goes deeper than the Prosecutors... There are moves to insure their ideology lives on
in the entire Executive Branch. There's a purge on like I've never seen before.

[creeksneakers2]

14. Do you have a link for that?

I follow right wing propaganda and have heard many complaints about Clinton holdovers in the Justice and State Departments. That's the kind of thing the wingers broadcast before a purge. So I've been wondering for a long time if it was happening. Would you please post a link if you have one?

[Hugin]

15. I was under the impression it was widely known the entire DoD is being privatized...

The other parts of the purge are insidious.

Like the removal of seniority promotion requirements within the Civil Service.

From: http://www.afgelocal1923.org/news_archives_october.html

Scroll down...
<snip>

HOYER STATEMENT ON NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM

WASHINGTON , DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today in response to the Department of Defense's announcement that it will begin to implement the National Security Personnel System (NSPS):

"Yesterday the Department of Defense announced that it will begin implementing the National Security Personnel System that will affect approximately 650,000 civilian Federal employees. As I have stated in the past, I am deeply concerned that these regulations might be used to eliminate important protections for employees and taxpayers without enhancing our national security or saving taxpayers money.

"When Congress authorized Secretary Rumsfeld to rewrite the Pentagon's civilian personnel policies in 2003, the expectation was that the Pentagon would develop a new personnel system to help the military meet the challenges of defending our nation in a post-9/11 world. I am concerned that rather than achieve this critical objective, the new NSPS regulations will be used to curtail essential employee rights and protections, including due process and collective bargaining rights.

"If DoD employees are to perform crucial national security functions in a professional, non-political manner, such protections and rights must be in place."

<snip\>

BTW... This is an issue which has been TOTALLY ignored by the Corporate Media. Instead everyone knows who
DIDN'T kill Jon B., who won American Idul and where Anna is maybe going to someday be buried.

[Hugin]

16. Even more... (Good quote)

"Ron Ault, president of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, says when he saw Nesterczuk on the NSPS team he was immediately concerned that the program was an ideological one with no room to negotiate. "Nesterczuk, Devine and Moffit, those are the guys that came out with 'let's go back to the old spoils system,' " Ault says. "They didn't use the word 'spoils system,' but they went back to the patronage system where people were totally loyal to the president."

From: http://www.govexec.com/features/0906-01/0906-01s3.htm

Some scary stuff... From the worst of the worst.

[creeksneakers2]

18. Thank you! n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. John Conyers isn't going to let this slide.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=320146

[Hugin]

5. John Conyers is one of the best...

:thumbsup:

[librechik]

4. Bolten "doesn't recall"

uh oh

[Hugin]

7. Another high-ranking Administration Official succumbs to the scourge CRS...

'Can't Remember Shit'.

So, sad... I'd take off my hat if I could afford one.

:eyes:

[spanone]

8. There will be massive memory loss in the coming months from these criminals.

[catgirl]

6. "based on complaints by memebers of congress,

law enforcement officials...names please.

[Hugin]

9. Oh, yes... "Names Please".

:thumbsup:

We're just dying to know out here in the Mass Media Market Demographic.

[originalpckelly]

10. The story says the prosecutor from New Mexico who was pressured...

intends to name the two lawmakers who pressured him, if asked to do so under oath.

[Hugin]

11. Good for him...

and Take an OATH? Why, that's an absolute anathema to the current gang of thieves.
and... and... and... Is it necessary for someone to tag along and hold his hand
while he testifies? No!

No wonder they want him gone.

[originalpckelly]

12. I have a feeling this is not going to end well for the folks in the White House.

They played around with the wrong people, prosecutors know and believe in the law and it's universal rule. Especially prosecutors working on public corruption cases.

[Hugin]

13. Great point... We can only hope. nt

[cascadiance]

17. Check out the NERVE of Gonzales to speak to the ABA about how he's "fighting corruption"...

... and he did it in the same conference where Carol Lam spoke. According to the article, Carol Lam didn't speak to him at all. Can't blame her at all! I think if I were her I'd have a tough time not vomitting hearing him speak on that topic. Where are the Georgetown kids when we need them here!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20070302-9999-1n2usat.html

Lam called to testify about ouster

One U.S. attorney sees political motive for his dismissal

UNION-TRIBUNE ASSOCIATED PRESS and THE WASHINGTON POST

March 2, 2007

WASHINGTON – A House subcommittee is compelling four of at least eight U.S. attorneys ousted from office in recent months to tell their stories under oath after one prosecutor said he believes he was fired for political reasons.

The Judiciary subcommittee on commercial and administrative law approved the subpoenas for former prosecutors Carol Lam of San Diego, David Iglesias of New Mexico, H.E. “Bud” Cummins of Arkansas and John McKay of Seattle.

...

Lam, a panelist yesterday at an American Bar Association event in San Diego, had no comment on the subpoenas. She was speaking about white-collar crime.

Also appearing at the conference was Lam's former boss, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Gonzales gave a luncheon speech about the importance of pursuing corporate and political corruption, which were the hallmarks of Lam's tenure.

Lam left the conference immediately after her panel discussion and did not interact with Gonzales. She said she had to return to her new job as senior vice president and legal counsel at Qualcomm Inc. to attend a meeting.

...

[Marie26]

19. K&R