Last Friday, Timothy Flanigan, former deputy White House counsel
and President Bush's nominee to serve as Deputy Attorny General,
withdrew his nomination to that post. His decision was due, in
part, to the Judiciary Committee's delay in voting the nomination
out of committee, and we're told, threats by Sens. Dick Durbin,
Patrick Leahy and Joe Biden to draw Flanigan's current employer,
Tyco, into the debate. Flanigan, being an honorable fellow, chose
not to play their dirty little game.
Leahy, though, being the snake that he is, and the New York
Times being the shill that is, refused to play the politics of
the nomination straight. Over the weekend, the Times
published Leahy's statement:
"Rather than appointing professionals with relevant
experience, the Bush administration has promoted a culture of
cronyism by tapping political allies and close friends for key
positions," Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat
on the Judiciary Committee, said in a written statement issued
after Mr. Flanigan announced his withdrawal.
"Like Mike Brown at FEMA, Timothy Flanigan has strong
credentials as a faithful Republican Party stalwart," he said. "But
just as Mr. Brown did not have the qualifications to lead our
nation's primary disaster response agency, there were serious
doubts about Mr. Flanigan's qualifications to serve as the nation's
second-highest ranking law enforcement officer."
This is absolute trash. Flanigan was more than qualified for the
Deputy Attorney General position. A real conservative, an
outstanding lawyer, he would have been outstanding in the position.
In Leahy's statement we are seeing now the key argument Democrats
will put up against any and all Bush nominations regardless of
qualifications. When will the White House start pushing back?
topics:
Joe Biden, Law, NATO
