Leahy Says Republicans Want to Change Standard for Confirming Attorney General

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Legal Times

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) says nominees for attorney general are not analogous to nominees for the Supreme Court and shouldn't be treated as such.

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a statement today responding to comments earlier this week from his committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Speaking on the Senate floor, Specter asked for a delay in the scheduled Jan. 8 confirmation hearing for Eric Holder Jr. to be attorney general.

Specter cited the lengthy preparation leading up to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of John Roberts Jr. and Samuel Alito Jr. in 2005 and 2006.

"When we had hearings involving Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justice Alito, consideration was made of the minority point of view, and extensive discussions were had, and there was an accommodation and agreement reached as to when the hearing was to be held," Specter said. "So we are looking at a serious matter and we have to do it right. It is going to take some time.”


Read more: http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2008/12/attorney-general-supreme-court-apple-______.html

[EFerrari]

1. Translation: Our shredders at DoJ are overheating. We need more time!

[bjobotts]

7. Excellent interpretation.Senate needs to take a hard look at their rules

[Historic NY]

2. Stalling hoping for a windfall to blow in to knock Holder out.

[Suich]

3. Specter and his wife are going on a European vacation.

That's why he wants the delay.

:banghead:

[elleng]

9. DOPE!

Its COLD over there!

(Somehow I'm assuming they're not going to Southern Europe!)

[pattmarty]

15. Well, ya know what I say about that; "fuck 'em both" and bon voyage!

[Webster Green]

4. The repukes turned the DOJ into an arm of the GOP political campaigns..

It was all about phony "voter fraud" charges, and actual rigging of elections (by repukes) :mad:

[elleng]

10. And there's NO Dem

likely to be suitable for reps, considering the unholy mess they've made of DOJ. SO they'll just try to hang it up forever?

[Mind_your_head]

5. Translation 2.0

The PEOPLE want/demand, in fact, an HONEST, TRUSTWORTHY Attorney General.

The repubs are having a hard time finding one to fit that "type". :spray:

There are MANY good Democratic/Progressive leaning wo/men who would honor - serve justice - in this position.

[defendandprotect]

6. Specter continues to do harm to nation for GOP crooks ....

[Hubert Flottz]

8. If Arlan Sphincter won't confirm Eric Holder Jr.

Then place Vincent Bugliosi's name in for the AG spot.

[robinlynne]

24. OHHH YEAH!!!!!!!!

[martymar64]

25. Bugliosi was my first choice

I don't like Holder because he holds the opinion that simple possession of Marijuana should be a felony. The jagoff wants to criminalize marijuana even more than it is.

I hate drug warriors.

[gtar100]

11. Great doubt and suspicion arises with the words "republicans want to change..."

Is there anything they do that isn't hell-bent on benefiting a few at the expense of the populace? They are a real curse on our land and in our lives. And this isn't the same as them bashing liberals for being "librul". They have a track record of dishonesty, injustice and destruction behind them.

(edit for spelling)

[SpiralHawk]

12. "Whine. We want special treatment. Whine, as usual." - Republicon Homelanders

Ptooey on republicons thinking they are special. Suck it up and try being Americans again, you diaper-clad, wide-stance, family-value FAIL freaks, you.

[rateyes]

13. Mr. Specter,

fuck off.

[pattmarty]

14. I say fuck 'em all, shove ALL the appointments down their..............

........."conservative" throats and/or up their asses too.

[mulsh]

16. all spector can find is holder's "neutral leaning to..."

luke warm pardon recommendation for Marc Rich. It is what is bunching the rethug's panties. Spector and the rest of his failed party need more time to think up bs to try to shoot down Holder.Oh and Spector and his wife will be out of the country on a taxpayer funded trip until the day the hearing is scheduled, the only member of the legislature on this particular junket. Leahy should not delay any confirmation hearings.

[Bandit]

17. Supreme Court is a Lifetime Appointment with zero oversight

Attorney General is only as long as the current President is there or decides different..Apples and Oranges indeed..

[Piewhacket]

18. Everyone is afraid...

No one posting here should think election of Obama
meant we could stop fighting for America.

Vindication of the rule of law demands vigorous prosecutions.
The next AG will decide that.

The Rethugs are afraid there will be prosecutions.
And we are afraid there won't be.

So expect rethugs to fight like hell.
We better be doing the same.

[go west young man]

19. Fuck em.

[Algorem]

20. so when do the democrats agree to it?

[gratuitous]

21. Well, THAT tune has certainly changed!

What happened to "serving at the pleasure of the president" and "the president deserves to name his own staff without a lot of interference from some back-bench yammerers like Senator Grandstand"? Specter ought to keep a weather eye out for his next election. His most faithful acolyte and imitator of mugging for the cameras, Gordon Smith, got turned out by the voters in his state this time around.

[No Elephants]

22. What deceit! Specter knows the Attorney General is very different from a Justice of the SCOTUS.

[seafan]

23. These criminals know that prosecutions will likely be in their future.

The only remaining way to restore America will be through accountability for crimes committed.


Republicans try to slow down AG Eric Holder hearings (Whatza matter, boys?)