Patrick Leahy: The next attorney general should unite, not divide

The next attorney general should unite, not divide

Whomever takes over the Justice Department must end political abuses, writes Sen. Patrick Leahy.
By Patrick Leahy
September 12, 2007


The next attorney general of the United States will inherit a department that has been needlessly and disastrously run into the ditch, and will face the challenge of repairing damage inflicted by a White House that injected politics into every level of the agency.

Like previous attorneys general, he or she will have to protect rights, combat crime and enforce the law, managing more than 100,000 employees. But the toughest part of the job may be regaining the public's trust after four years of partisanship and political abuses.

The Justice Department is different from other Cabinet departments. The founders wanted to buffer law enforcement and the justice system from political influence because in the U.S., no one -- not even the president -- is supposed to be above the law. North Carolina's 1776 constitution gave its attorney general the same life tenure as its judges, while its governors were elected for one-year terms. In recent years, some have suggested 10-year terms for our attorneys general to further shield them from White House interference.

It is deeply saddening that the department's history and standards have been ignored by the Bush administration, in incidents ranging from the politically motivated firing of U.S. attorneys to the creation of a legally dubious warrantless wiretapping program lacking proper checks and balances. Considering the evasive testimony that Congress has heard time and again from various Justice Department witnesses, one would almost think the department's motto had changed to "I don't recall."

The department must never be subverted in this way again. No Justice Department should be manipulated into a political arm of the White House, whether occupied by a Republican or a Democrat.

Soon -- perhaps as early as today -- the president will nominate a new attorney general to replace Alberto R. Gonzales. The department needs strong, clear-eyed leadership. This is not a time for cronyism, and this is not a time for a place-holder. Here is a checklist of qualities that help define the kind of leader the Department of Justice needs right now:

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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-leahy12sep12,0,1258182.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

the chances are?

their pick today. Hold to your committment, Senator, to NOT hold a confirmation hearing until you get the information you said you needed to to hold a hearing.

Richard Blumenthal. He's the man.

I'm afraid he's NOT on bushie's short list.

should be holding Karl Rove and Harriet Miers in inherent contempt of Congress, and should not hold confirmation hearings for a new attorney general until they testify publicly under oath without asserting executive privilege and have all of the documentation that has been subpoenaed.

party could argue that the current admin doesn't deserve an attorney general, as horrific as their first choice was.

they know what to do. It's past time to play hardball.

Leahy opposed him vigorously for SG. He's about the last person I can see him supporting for AG. BUT, there's a lot of gamesmanship and brinksmanship going on here. I think bush would like to have either no hearing for Olsen or a rejection by committee. That way he gets to keep the incredibly loyal and partisan Clement, without the glare of a recess appt. It'll be interesting to see this play out.