The Washington Post published an editorial today in which it praised President Obama’s nominees to the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). While the OLC is not an office widely recognized by anyone outside of the beltway, its influence is enormous, and the nominees selected by the president show how serious he is about returning a sense of openness and justice to the department that bears its name.
The OLC under the Bush administration was the source of many of the now-infamous torture memos, which were used to provide legal cover to those who believed that “enhanced interrogation” techniques were crucial to our national security. Dawn Johnsen, who served as acting assistant attorney general in the OLC under President Clinton, was one of the most vocal critics of the transformation of that office under President Bush. Her selection to lead the OLC now shows just how different the new president’s approach will be.
Oddly enough however, some Republicans are using her statements opposing the OLC torture memos and the office’s general tendency towards secrecy as reason to grandstand over her nomination. Interestingly, when the president announced Ms. Johnsen’s nomination, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee -- which plays no role in the confirming of presidential nominees -- said that he had “significant concerns considering her position on the intelligence community’s ability to conduct interrogations and critical, time-sensitive intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks.”
Ms. Johnsen’s confirmation hearing is not scheduled to take place for another month, but considering the stall tactics faced by Eric Holder, President Obama’s choice for attorney general, we aren’t holding our breath that hers will be a smooth one. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on her and other nominees’ hearings.
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EX-PRESIDENT BUSH WITH HIS PATRIOT ACT AND ALL OF HIS EXECUTIVE ORDERS PUT IN PLACE AFTER 911 NOT ONLY VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS COUNTRY BUT ALSO OPEN THE DOOR TO A LOT CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS THE HAVE BEING TAKING PLACE THROUGH THE ABUSE OF POWER BY PEOPLE HE PLACE IN POSITIONS LIKE MR. DANIEL B. PRIETO WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. I ACCUSSED MR. DANIEL B. PRIETO OF VIOLATING MY CIVIL LIBIRTIES AND MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS BY ABUSING HIS POWERS UNDER THE COLOR OF LAW TO PERPETRATE A PERSONAL BANDETTA AGAINST MY PERSON FOR OVER 6 YEARS NOW AND ALL OF THIS HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT WHO HAS ALLOWED HIM TO DO THIS. THE PATRIOT ACT CALLED FOR ESTABLISHING PROGRAMS OF COOPERATION BEWTWEEN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND BUSINESS A PROGRAM THAT WAS SUPPOUSE TO ASSIST IN THE PREVENTION OF TERRORIST ATTACKS. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS A TERRORIST? BECAUSE FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS I HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A COMMUNITY OF TERRORIST CREATED BY EX-PRESIDENT BUSH AND MR.PRIETO WHO HAVE TRY TO INTIMIDATE, DESTROY MY LIFE, I HAVE BEING FALSELY ACCUSED AND SEND TO JAIL, BIENG FIRE FROM A JOB I HAD FOR 7 YEARS, SEGREGATED FROM ALL THE PEOPLE I USED TO CALL FRIENDS, AND THE COMMUNITY I HAVE BEING FOLLOWED AROUND FOR SIX YEARS NOW 24 HRS A DAY ALL MY MODES OF COMMUNICATION HAVE BEING INTERFERED WITH. ALL OF THIS HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH THE COOPERATION OF MY LOCAL GOVERMENT AND THE COMMUNITY AND ALL FOR A PERSONAL BANDETA. IF YOU ARE ASKING YOURSELF HOW CAN THIS BE? MR.PRIETO HAS ABUSE HIS POSITION WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND HAS USED ME AS A TRAINING TOOL FOR THE PROGRAM OF COMMUNITY TRAINING AND COOPERATION FOR THE TERRORIST PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION OF THE PATRIOT ACT AS AN EXCUSE FOR HIS PERSONAL VANDETTA AGAINST ME. NOW I EVEN GET HARRASS BY THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WAS HOPEFUL THAT WHEN OBAMA BECAME PRESIDENT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SEEK JUSTICE, AND THAT ALL OF THIS VIOLATIONS OF MY CIVIL RIGHTS WOULD STOP BUT THE CONTRARY NOW IS WORSE THEM EVER. ITS THERE SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP ME GET MY LIFE BACK AND THE JUSTICE I DESERVE? PLEASE POST YOUR ANSWER I WILL BE CHECKING.
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