Tortured Logic: The Urgent Need For Leadership And Accountability At OLC

[babylonsister]

Tortured Logic: The Urgent Need For Leadership And Accountability At OLC
Christy Hardin Smith Friday June 26, 2009 8:45 am



In case anyone is wondering why I've been dogging the Dawn Johnsen OLC nomination for months and months on end?

Why restoration of the rule of law and having real leadership in place at OLC rather than a temporary staffing limbo is so important to me?

Wonder no more:

NPR’s report this morning that the Brookings Institution’s Benjamin Wittes has proposed what’s expected to be a highly influential plan for “preventive detention” — which could lock up “dangerous” terror suspects potentially forever without charge or trial — gives even more urgency to the question that Spencer raised here more than a month ago.

Will the administration be more swayed by an author of books about fighting terrorism than by its own deputy attorney general at the Office of Legal Counsel, Marty Lederman?...

This situation may be partly due to the lack of leadership in the OLC: Republicans have stalled the confirmation of Dawn Johnsen, President Obama’s nominee to head the office, for months now. That may be giving outsiders more say in the administration’s plans than they would ordinarily have.

As Daphne points out, having no official leadership at the OLC helm leaves that vital space adrift and its purview ripe for the picking for opportunists who don't have that same commitment to the rule of law that I've been hoping for from Dawn Johnsen's leadership.

We cannot afford a continued leadership vaccuum on the rule of law. Period.

more...

http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/06/26/tortured-logic-the-urgent-need-for-leadership-and-accountability-at-olc/

[hootinholler]

1. K&R

We need these appointments filled and need to replace most of the bush appointees.

-Hoot

[chill_wind]

2. K & R. I just don't fully get it about Marty Lederman, though.

He's not a holdover, not some temp placeholder. He is there and has BEEN there-- at Yoo's old desk.


Obama's Best Move So Far? Marty Lederman Joins OLC

Tue Jan 20, 2009

http://showmeprogress.com/diary/2283/

With Koh now also confirmed elsewhere, hopefully they will ally together powerfully if/when she ever gets confirmed.

[annabanana]

3. How many of the underlings currently inhabiting the place are

leftover "loyalbushies' dregs?.. The sooner Dawn gets in there, the better.