By Paul Chesser on 5.20.09 @ 12:27PM
A story in
Sunday's News & Observer of Raleigh reported
that Democrat Sen. Kay Hagan of Raleigh was moving expeditiously
in her responsibilities to recommend to President Obama a
replacement for U.S. Attorney George Holding, a holdover from the
Bush administration.
A story in
Sunday's News & Observer of Raleigh reported
that Democrat Sen. Kay Hagan of Raleigh was moving expeditiously
in her responsibilities to recommend to President Obama a
replacement for U.S. Attorney George Holding, a holdover from the
Bush administration:
"We're definitely working on those right now," Hagan said
in an interview (last) Wednesday. "And hopefully within the
next few weeks we can go forward."
The newspaper reported that the senator had formed a search
committee for the task. Meanwhile Holding has been vigorously
investigating former Democrat Sen. John Edwards over potential
payments to his mistress from campaign funds, and he's also
looking into several allegations against recently
departed Democrat Gov. Mike Easley. The N&O
continued:
Gary Pearce, a Democratic strategist, said Hagan must tread
carefully in a situation without precedent in the state.
"We've never had this kind of run of scandals in North
Carolina, and we've never had them occur at this cusp of time,
when the parties are changing and the U.S. attorneys are going
to change," he said. "It's a sensitive issue, a political hot
potato. Does she replace Holding when he's on these cases? Then
you look like you are trying to protect Edwards and
Easley."
Today brings another dramatic turn of events, in which Hagan has
suddenly announced she
believes Holding should stay on the job until his
investigations are complete. While that may appear on its face to
represent a burst of common sense from the senator, there may be
another contributing factor: a member of her search committee was
spotted at Easley's residence yesterday.
(Hagan's) comments today came a day after the resignation
of one member of the three-person screening panel that Hagan
established to winnow candidates for the top prosecutors'
positions in North Carolina.
Locke Clifford, a criminal defense lawyer from Greensboro,
stepped down on Tuesday but did not cite a reason. Hagan said
he has not been involved in screening for a replacement of
Holding, but was involved in assessing judicial
appointments.
The panel had been expecting to interview candidates last
week and this one, according to the panel's chairman, Burley
Mitchell. Mitchell is a former chief justice of the N.C.
Supreme Court....
Clifford has not returned calls or made comments. But
Clifford's vehicle was spotted at the Easley home on
Tuesday.
That sure put Hagan and state Democrats in a bind. Now the
investigation will continue unimpeded.
topics:
Barack Obama
