WP's Andrew Cohen: The Case for Attorney General Patrick Fitzgerald

[sabra]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2007/03/gonzopart_ivmeet_your_new_atto.html

<snip>

In my humble opinion, and recognizing that there may be a few other worthy candidates, there is only one person who perfectly currently fits the bill. He is a Republican and a Bush-appointee, but not a partisan or a crony or a hack like so many other current appointees. He has a sterling record of integrity and doggedness. He is obviously his own man and has shown a remarkable tendency during his career as a prosecutor for rankling partisans on both sides of the aisle. He is beholden to no one. His nomination to head the Justice Department by President Bush, and his ratification by the Congress, would send a clear message to the country that our government is willing to turn the page on the sordid recent history of the Office of Attorney General. His name? Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

Can you think of a better candidate to restore honor and integrity to the Justice Department than the man who just took on the White House, and won, with the perjury and obstruction trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby? Can you think of a person more likely to erase the standing charge of cronyism that seeps through the current administration like a stink bomb? Can you think of someone whose political and legal reputation throughout the country is as high right now, among Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike? Can you think of a better choice than a Washington outsider who made his bones as an Elliot Ness-like figure long before he won his latest case?

Fitzgerald has a sterling record as a line prosecutor. When he was in New York at the U.S. Attorney's office, he participated in the African Embassy bombings trial as well as the terror trials of Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef. He also has prosecuted organized crime cases and has anti-terror experienced since 9/11 as well. His undergraduate degrees are in mathematics and economics, he graduated from Harvard Law School, and I daresay that in a Jeopardy competition with the current Attorney General he would probably win before the bonus round. Oh, and he has few political skills -- but wouldn't that be refreshing for the fellow who would be the nation's top lawyer?

[H2O Man]

1. As soon as

anyone says Mr. Fitzgerald is a republican, everything else they say is suspect.

[unblock]

6. i've told you a million times not to exaggerate :)

fitz did get some tar on himself by accepting a position from an administration that appoints cronies like no other.

though, he's earned his way clean.

still, there's no way in hell the shrubbies would appoint him to janitor now. whatever his party affiliation, he's certainly not a bushbot.

[tulsakatz]

7. true, if they think he's a republican.........

...then they surely don't know much about Fitzgerald!

Although it is a good idea for him to be AG, I just don't think he would do it.

[yourout]

2. Oh the irony.....

I love the idea.

[yellowcanine]

3. When pigs fly THAT will happen. It's CYA time at the WH, not "restoring honor and integrity"

to the Justice Department or any other Department. Bush is not about to make the mistake that Nixon made by appointing a person (Elliot Richardson) whose integrity trumps his loyalty to the person who appointed him.

[NewJeffCT]

5. Funny, as soon as I saw the thread title...

I thought about "when pigs fly" too...

Nice thought, but I had started a thread on this earlier and I think somebody named Fred Fielding as the most likely.

[bullimiami]

4. bush can only nominate a crony. anyone else will put half his administration in jail.