Obama Renominates U.S. Attorney Fired By Bush

A day after it was revealed that Bush administration strategist Karl Rove had played a greater role than previously acknowledged in the political purges of U.S. Attorneys, the Obama administration announced that it is nominating one of those Bush-era casualties back to his post.

On Friday, the White House announced the nomination of four U.S. Attorneys, including Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada. Bogden's bio, as submitted by the White House, glossed over the controversial episode in which he lost his job several years ago. He was listed as "a partner in the Nevada law firm of McDonald Carano Wilson" who had "previously served as United States Attorney for the District of Nevada from 2001 to 2007."

But for those who followed the dismissal of U.S. attorneys in late 2006, Bogden's name is quite familiar. He was one of seven or eight U.S. attorneys who was dismissed by the Bush White House for what is widely believed to be political motivations, such as the unwillingness to investigate weak charges of voter fraud or political corruption.

Bogden, like his other fired colleagues, had initially been appointed by President Bush, which suggests that he is a Republican (there are no records of Bogden making political donations). That he would be reinstated by a Democratic administration to the position he lost is undoubtedly meant to be a message from the Obama White House that they are elevating law above politics, or at least removing partisanship from the Department of Justice.

His nomination was expected. Murray Waas wrote for the Atlantic in April about the White House's intentions to reinstate him. The Las Vegas Sun reported on Thursday that Bogden was being pushed for the U.S. Attorney position by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D-Nev.), and that the nomination hadn't yet happened because of a lengthy vetting process.

Comments

[somsoc]

Being fired by the most cr!minal administration in the history of this nation is the most solid endorsement that anyone can have seeking an appointed or elective office. Yoo on the otherhand should be disbarred and imprisoned.

[Artemis34]

"weak charges of voter fraud or political corruption" = "trumped up charges of voter fraud or political corruption"

[pokeyphil]

Our great justice department. No we should not punish those who have their own agenda. Those lawyers were dragging their feet not wanting to do their job. If your boss says something and you disagree then quit. It's like the black panthers that stood at the poll booths with clubs, our now justice dept sees nothing wrong with that. These men were just making sure you voted for Obama. Screw all of you who bend the law to fit your leftist views. 2010 can't get here fast enough. We have the most corrupt administration with the wrong agenda. Barney Frank admitted the health care bill is the first step to gov't control

[neocon666]

"It's like the black panthers that stood at the poll booths with clubs..."
-Proof? I didn't think so.

[ljc]

Actually, they had guns, tee hee. They were just making sure everyone got in to vote, if you catch my drift. After all it was Philadelphia. The minority incident at the white country club recently and now the stroy about the white only bathroon and drinking fountain in the same city? Hmmm. The case was dropped by the DOJ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU

[ljc]

Also, the Karl Rove e-mails just released prove he was knee deep in the firings of the attorneys. Pokey phil is highly misinformed.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/emails_show_roves_role_in_us_attorney_friing.php

[sonoffestus]

"leftist views"....­..........­..........­...OMG I'm so , so scared. The the rightist views have done so much good for America...­.."most corrupt"..­..........­...LOL! Are you always this funny?

[Gork]

You lost, we won.

[Iccarus]

Do you know the difference between voter fraud and election fraud? Voter fraud to be effective would require convincing large numbers of people to commit a crime. Not very likely. Election fraud howerver only requires a few bad apples. There is mounting evidence that there was election fraud in the last two elections. Bush has brought more government control than anyone ever imagined possible. Just try to keep an open mind and see both sides...pl­eeeeaaazzz­ze

[Artemis34]

The attorneys were fired for actually doing their jobs, rather than not doing was claimed by the last administration.

“In August 2005, the Boston Globe reported that after a grand jury in Guam opened an investigation of former super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2002, President Bush "removed the supervising federal prosecutor, and the probe ended soon after." The timing is pretty striking. On Nov. 18, 2002, a grand jury subpoenaed secret and suspect-seeming contractual transactions involving Abramoff. The next day, the White House announced the replacement of Frederick A. Black, the acting U.S. attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands since 1991 and lead prosecutor in the case.“ Read full article at: http://www.slate.com/id/2162375/

So, Frederick A. Black was appointed by the elder B u s h and served through both Clinton’s terms and through the younger B u s h's first term, but suddenly had a performance problem 1 day before prosecuting a B u s h White House friend? I don’t buy it!

Sorry, if you're boss gives you unlawful orders, DO NOT obey.

[Norge]

Well done. What had been done to those attorneys was nothing short of scandalous and outrageous
missuse of power.l

[Artemis34]

Yes, clearly the last administration is guilty of ABUSE OF POWER in the firings AND hirings at Justice.

[hauty007]

UNPRECEDENTED
just for that.. I am making my first contribution to SARAHPAC.
sending the receipt to the DNC, using their pre-paid envelop!

[BeyondKen]

Ooh, didn't you know? Mrs. Palin has quit SARAHPAC.

[tomasedison]

please donate $2000.....­thank you

[Artemis34]

stop spamming

[peacebro]

Cool,,,but don't stop now. Reinstste them all, especially David Iglesias.

[Bubba Gump]

Cosign!

[Awakenedcitizen]

LOUD APPLAUSE. Many competent, ethical, attorneys were targeted by the Bush administration.

[dspencer3491]

I really am struggling to understand how Karl Rove is not in jail. Can some one please help me understand?

[peacebro]

Things are not over, in fact heating up just last week in this case. Could still happen. If not, he at least is contained to little to no power or respect beyond Faux News.

[Artemis34]

They were firing anyone at Justice who meant to serve the cause of justice.

[banja]

A slap in the face of incompetent AG Gonzo

[ibm]

Also a slap in the face of Karl Rove.

[berrycooda]

Well if he was unwilling to investigate voter fraud and political corruption­...

Looks like he came to the right place to be renominated to the current administration.

[jalex26000]

very true!

[Sweetbay]

Nice try. But, he was unwilling to drum up false charges of voter fraud. That was his sin. He was too ethical for the last administration.

[Artemis34]

The Republicans are the biggest perpetrators of election fraud.

They will thwart efforts to prosecute this.

[ibm]

As far as I know, the only cases of voter fraud that have been prosecuted, the cases have been against Republican operatives.

[Ronald Williams]

YOU MUST BE JOKING! THEY WERE TRYING TO GET HIM TO MANUFACTURE SOME CORRUPT CASES AGAINST ANYONE WHO DIDN'T FOLLOW THEIR CONSERVATIVE AGENDA...

[DFL]

You lost neo cons! we're doing things our way now.

[jcwtts1]

During the last 30 years we had one, 8 year, opportunity to push back against the sea of partisanship and ultra conservative judicial activism. I don't want moderates in these 8 years, I want people willing to see a John Yoo memo and hold a press conference, not wait 6 years and say, wow, yeah, that was bad. I want people who don't think that the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center are bad ideas. US A have unlimited power almost. Seriously, they are some of the most powerful people in the government. Stop with the bi-partisan appointments in this one single regard. No conservative judges, no conservative US A, no conservative supreme court nominations let's try progressive leadership rather than Republican retreads.

[Kassandra]

I agree. Couldn't he find a liberal or just plain conservative DEMOCRAT for once? Let's get Igesias back too. He at least, spoke up about on TEEVEE...t­hus risking his life.

[jcwtts1]

Again, I have no idea why everyone thinks this is a great idea. Look, I understand that the Justice Dept is supposed to select people with a non-partisan eye, and that is great for career DOJ employees, but that doesn't mean that US A which is a political appointment, which was used and abused by the Bush White House and DOJ to attack and damage the constitution, the bill of rights, and as many constitutional liberties as possible should go to republicans. Sure I think it is great that this US A didn't investigate trumped up charges of anything, but many of the US A did. Many of them framed cases and illegally wiretapped. The DOJ run by Bush and Rove was so wildly out of control that I think it taints anyone who was a part of it. Even people who finally said, enough is enough. Where were they the year before, and the year before that? Where were they when Ashcroft was being pressured in his hospital bed? Where were they when the US A in PA was wiretapping the Mayor, when the US A in Alabama was framing a guy, when the US A in Alaska was suborning perjury? The FBI, the US A, the Atty General, all of these offices were damaged during the last 8 years.

[chicagurl]

Well, he definitely knows the job!

[grumbles]

Good luck to you, Sir. Now go get em!!!!!!!!!!