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Appointing U.S. Attorneys -- Then and After Reauthorization

Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:06:17 AM EST

Adam Lambert (clammyc) provides us background explanation about how U.S. Attorneys used to, in the days before March 2006 when the Patriot Act was "reauthorized, be appointed. He also details what are their responsibilities, how many U.S. Attorneys are appointed, who works for them, and to whom they answer. He gives us that background in his The Alberto Gonzales Appointments: How the Process Has Changed and Why this is so Important

Read the earlier piece on the US Attorneys who have been replaced in The Gonzales Seven

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commentary :: :: :: buzz-it!

Appointing U.S. Attorneys -- Then and After Reauthorization | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 hidden)

Great job! clammyc (5.00 / 2) (#1)

... and thanks for pulling this all together for us.

by roxy317 on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:37:24 AM EST

ditto..........knowledge is power! n/t (5.00 / 2) (#3)

by avahome on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:49:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Also, forgot to mention the graphic.......... (5.00 / 2) (#4)

it just grabs onto you!!!!!!!!!!!!

by avahome on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:51:25 AM EST
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: The graphic (5.00 / 2) (#5)

should probably show a big crack through it ...

by roxy317 on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:54:58 AM EST
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: wait til you see the next one Roxy's (5.00 / 2) (#6)

got cooking!

by Cho on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:59:19 AM EST
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Also available in .... (5.00 / 2) (#2)

orange

by roxy317 on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:44:48 AM EST

Looks as if Raw Story picked it up... (5.00 / 3) (#7)

thanks for a good background piece, Clammyc!

by Cho on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 11:36:37 AM EST

This is such an important story. (5.00 / 2) (#8)

And it would make a great podcast, too. Clammyc, do you have any time this weekend for a phone interview?

by Kay Shepherd on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 12:11:41 PM EST

: Kay -- Great Idea! (5.00 / 1) (#9)

thanks!

by Cho on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 12:19:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Looks as Charlton is leaving office today (5.00 / 2) (#10)

from the Arizona Republic :
Arizona's U.S. attorney joining mass exodus

U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton leaves office today as Arizona's top federal prosecutor amid a cloud of controversy over whether he was forced out by the Justice Department along with a number of colleagues nationwide during a political purge by the Bush administration.

Looks as if the two Arizona Senators put Humetewa's name in as a possible nomination, as Clammyc's story explains is the normal way of proceeding.

Diane Humetewa, an assistant U.S. attorney and Hopi tribal member, has been recommended by Arizona's two U.S. senators to replace Charlton but has not been nominated for that position.

Note that she has not been nominated... although traditionally the President makes his nomination from the suggestions given him by the Senators of the district affected.

By the way, the Republic is covering some of the same background Clammyc put into his piece...does the following sound familiar?

There are 93 U.S. attorneys in the nation and its territories, responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws and representing the government in civil litigation. They serve at the pleasure of the president and are installed for four-year terms that may be extended. Typically, they are replaced when a new political party takes over the White House. Nominations are made by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Under a little-known provision of the USA Patriot Act, however, the appointment authority for interim U.S. attorneys was shifted to the attorney general, who may assign replacements without Senate scrutiny or approval.

by Cho on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 02:48:54 PM EST

by the way... the paragraph about (5.00 / 1) (#11)

Humetewa has been removed from the article now that the replacement has been appointed.

by Cho on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 10:55:24 PM EST
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: O/T - What people are reading (5.00 / 1) (#12)

At the Arizona Republic, where they just lost their U.S. Attorney to the Gonzales touch, these are the most-read stories:

MOST READ STORIES
Brandy sued for $50M in fatal LA crash
Hilary Duff's man dates
Britney wants Justin back
DiCaprio bruises co-star
Kiefer Sutherland's toy torture
Lohan wrecks Wonderland
Bam Margera's TV wedding
Miss USA says she dabbled in cocaine
Maui residents object to MTV portrayal
Bruce Willis settles extortion lawsuit
WTF, people of Arizona?!!! Mind you, none of these stories is featured above the fold on the azcentral.com news page, yet they are the "most read."
BTW, the Republic is owned by Gannett, yet is a member of McClatchy's RealCities Network.
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by wanderindiana on Thu Feb 01, 2007 at 12:00:36 AM EST
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