September 12, 2007

Gonzales May Be Out, But Has The Battle Just Begun?

UPDATED.

Remember Alberto Gonzales?

The attorney general hasn't left office yet, but ever since he handed in his resignation to President Bush, the furor over his handling of the attorney-firings scandal and a National Security Agency surveillance program has largely subsided, thanks to more recent news from Larry Craig and David Petraeus.

That doesn't mean congressional Democrats are going to drop their beefs with the Justice Department. On the contrary, Roll Call reported (subscription) earlier this week that "even if Bush nominates an otherwise noncontroversial attorney general," sources from both sides of the aisle "don't expect a speedy confirmation." The Democratic leadership is expected to press the administration for more information regarding ongoing DOJ investigations before considering Bush's nominee.

Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected out of hand one of the White House's rumored top choices to replace Gonzales, former Solicitor General Ted Olson. "I intend to do everything I can to prevent him from being confirmed as the next attorney general," Reid said in a statement. "Clearly if you made a list of consensus nominees, Olson wouldn’t appear on that list," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told the New York Times yesterday.

Some officials say they see Bush inching closer toward a decision, although a senior administration official told AP the president probably won't announce a successor before Gonzales departs the post at the end of this week. FOX News, however, reports that an announcement could come as early as today.

Congressional Democrats are asking the White House to choose a moderate nominee who will move easily through the nomination process. This may well be the preferred outcome for Bush, too, considering the months of bad press associated with the Gonzales controversies and the limited amount of time his successor will have to start repairing the damage.

An Olson appointment, however, would surely raise eyebrows on the left. As Bush's legal representation in the contested 2000 presidential election, his arguments before the Supreme Court are credited with helping land that decision in Bush's favor. The New York Sun speculated this morning that "the appointment of Mr. Olson would send a clear signal to Congress that President Bush is not about to go soft during his last 15 months in office."

Another member of Bush's 2000 legal team, former Deputy Attorney General George Terwilliger, is also believed to be on the short list. And rumors persist that Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch is in the running for the job as well.

Back in August, The Gate was daydreaming about other possible Gonzales successors.

Posted at 5:33 PM
Posted to: Alberto Gonzales, Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, Charles Schumer, Congress, President Bush, Senate
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