SO...POTENTIAL recess appointment A.G. Skeletor "personally assures" Hillary investigation

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Chertoff, candidate to succeed Gonzales, pledged to investigate Sen. Clinton

Published: Wednesday September 5, 2007

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Chertoff_candidate_to_suceed_Gonzales_pledged_0905.html



"Shortly after President Bush took office in 2001, Michael Chertoff, then head of the Justice Department's criminal division, met with the conservative group Judicial Watch," begins an article that went all but missed in Tuesday's LA Times. "It wanted criminal charges brought against Hillary Rodham Clinton in connection with a lavish fundraising event in Los Angeles the year before."

"Chertoff personally assured us he would pursue it," the group's president, Tom Fitton told the Times' reporters, recalling the meeting with several top Justice officials. "They said they weren't afraid of taking on the Clintons."

The Department opted not to pursue a case against New York's junior senator, they note. Instead, they went after one of her fundraisers, David Rosen, who was later acquitted.

In the wake of Alberto Gonzales' resignation as Attorney General, Chertoff appears among the shortlisted candidates to succeed him. "Justice Department officials say pressure from Judicial Watch -- which made its name by suing the Clintons in the 1990s -- played no role in the decision to prosecute Rosen," adds the Times. "Chertoff will not discuss the case. But it seems to be an early example of department actions under Bush that critics say were tinged with partisanship."

[AX10]

1. K & R!

[Gloria]

2. Wasn't Chertoff based in NYC and also involved in looking into

Clinton's Rich pardon? (There was a woman prosecutor from NYC involved as well..)

[AlGore-08.com]

3. I wonder if this will change HRC's opinion of Chertoff?

http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=145183&keyword=chertoff&phrase=&contain=

Statement of Senator Clinton on Her Vote on the Nomination of Michael Chertoff to be Secretary of Homeland Security

There is no position in government of greater importance to the security of our country and of my home state of New York than that of the Secretary of Homeland Security. It has been said before, but it bears repeating -- our Nation faces a new kind of challenge to our way of life. I have no doubt we will overcome this challenge, but we will do so only by maintaining and strengthening our civil society and our commitment to being a force for decency and respect for law in the world. After rigorous review of Judge Chertoff's testimony and my personal discussion with him, I have come to the conclusion that Judge Chertoff is professionally qualified to be Secretary of Homeland Security and that he understands and respects the values that the Secretary works to defend.

Judge Chertoff's stated commitment to threat-and vulnerability-based funding and his repeated expressions of support for policies that are essential to the security of New Yorkers are decisive factors in my decision to vote for his confirmation.

(snip)

Finally, I was pleased to learn that Judge Chertoff testified that his personal experiences have given him a thorough appreciation and respect for state and local perspectives. I agree wholeheartedly that we need to work in partnership with state and local governments. When it comes to securing the homeland, states and local communities must be full partners.

I remain deeply concerned about the misguided and potentially unconstitutional policies that have been drafted by the Justice Department and implemented by the Administration in its prosecution of the war on terror and in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. And I am grateful that the Senate devoted time to a thorough discussion of these important issues. However, these concerns have nothing to do with Judge Chertoff's personal abilities and commitment to public service, and Judge Chertoff has expressed his personal disagreement with many of these policies. Ultimately, his roots in the New Jersey-New York region, his personal experiences, and his expressions of commitment to the rule of law and programs and policies that will help protect New York and our nation have secured my vote in favor of confirmation. I call upon Judge Chertoff to work with Congress to ensure that the Administration is vigilant in its efforts to protect our liberty and keep our nation secure.

(more... )

[Vickers]

4. He promised that in 2001? Er....heckuva job, Dildohead!

:P

[cutlassmama]

5. skeletor!

:rofl:

[MaineDem]

6. There won't be a recess appointment

Senate's back in session, no?