Clinton/Reno fired 92 Federal Prosecutors

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by spence

Under the Patriot Act signed into law by President Bush the Whitehouse now has the legal authority to fire and replace Federal Prosecutors indefinately without Senate confirmation.

-spence

Not anymore according to the senate.

This screw up was so bad that people now feel sympathy for lawyers!

[mosholu]

When a new administration comes in it is practive to appoint new AGs that are in line with your political views. Those appointments are submitted to the senate for approval. Under the legislation that extended the Patriots Act an additional provisions was put in to allow the appointment of a U

[mosholu]

Sorry for the previous post I hit the wrong key.

When a new administration comes in it is practive to appoint new Attys that are in line with your political views. Those appointments are submitted to the senate for approval. This is part of the check and balances. Under the legislation that extended the Patriots Act an additional provision was put in to allow the appointment of a US Atty without Senate approval. This was to cover instances where an Atty dies or becomes incapacitated and an ongoing investigation or trial would be impaired. It is the use of this provision, intended to help the fight against terrorists, as a means to replace people with political appointments without review by the Senate which is really the issue here. I voted for the guy but his underlings willingness to twist and undermine basic principles of law and sepeartion of powers to extend their power is starting to scare me.