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No, not that one.

Word out of the Senate Judiciary Committee is that Timothy Flanigan has withdrawn his nomination to serve as Deputy Attorney General.

Flanigan, who previously served as a deputy counsel to President George W. Bush, was a hard-nosed conservative who many believed would bring some order to the Department of Justice that had been lacking under DAG James Comey and since Attorney General John Ashcroft stepped down after the 2004 election.

Flanigan's nomination had been held up due to typical Democratic politics, but things further stalled when Sen. Dick "I Hate My Parents for Giving Me a First Name That Matches Perfectly With My Personality" Durbin attempted to tie Flanigan to the simmering Jack Abramoff scandal.

Flanigan had never been linked to any of the activities that have created legal problems for Abramoff. But the Abramoff case remains an open case that the Department of Justice is involved in, given the politicization of Flanigan's nomination by Democrats, the timing of his confirmation might have created problems for both him and the agency as the case moved forward.

Thus, Flanigan stands as yet another nominee slimed by the Durbin/Pat Leahy tag team, and the country fails to get a highly qualified professional in an important law enforcement and national security slot.

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