Bush’s Scandal-Ridden DoJ Nominee Withdraws Over Fear Of Senate Fight
Bush’s Scandal-Ridden DoJ Nominee Withdraws Over Fear Of Senate Fight
William Mercer, the Acting Associate Attorney General, asked President Bush today to withdraw his nomination to be the permanent No. 3 official in the Justice Department, “saying it was unlikely that the Senate would confirm him to a post he has held on an interim basis since September.”
Mercer, who is also the current U.S. attorney in Montana, is enmeshed in both the U.S. attorney scandal and the politicization of the Justice Department. He reportedly told fired U.S. attorney Daniel Bogden of Nevada that his dismissal was “to make room for others to gain experience so the Republican Party would have a strong bench of candidates for federal judgeships.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) called for Mercer to resign after the Washington Post reported that he “worked to alter federal law so that he and a handful of other senior Justice officials could escape residency requirements that governed their assignments as U.S. attorneys.”
In a statement, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said Mercer withdrew his name to avoid testifying under oath:
The White House has found many ways to keep sunlight from reaching some of the darker corners of the Bush Justice Department, but this is a new one. They have withdrawn this nomination to avoid having to answer more questions under oath.
Gonzales said in a statement today that he is “very pleased that the department will continue to benefit from his leadership, talent and experience through his role as U.S. attorney in Montana.”
Mercer, whose confirmation hearing was set for Tuesday, served in the Department for two years, as both a temporary senior official and as the U.S. attorney in Montana .
(HT: Atrios)
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Matt, where is that last link supposed to go to? Just askin’.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:09 pmGuy looks like a happy version of Jack Bauer. Scary.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:13 pmLast link fixed, thanks for catching that Wayne.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:14 pmIs this the same guy TP had a thread on a while back that was only spending a couple of day’s a month in Montana doing his job?…He was spending more time in D.C. than he should be…..Just wondering…..Montanan’s may have some trouble with this if it is true and this guy may need to find another job altogether if he is the one…..Blessings
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:16 pmThis guy look’s like he may be related to Beck…..
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:21 pmAll part of our friendly service, Matt. :)
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:22 pm“…..as the Acting Associate Attorney General.”
There are far to many actors in high office these days,
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:25 pmand besides,
to hold the position as an “acting associate” anything is the real joke.
#4 – Yeah that’s the guy. He refused to admit that there was anything wrong with that. I would think the people of Montana would differ, but what do I know?
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:28 pmYeah, we can’t have him UNDER OATH, can we??
He MIGHT have to tell the TRUTH, and then Bush and Cheney MIGHT have to go UNDER OATH and tell the TRUTH, and look what might happen THEN!
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:29 pmGuy looks like a happy version of Jack Bauer. Scary.
Comment by gummitch — June 22, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
I don’t know, he looks more like an effeminate version of Jack Bauer.
Creepy.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:30 pmNo surprise
The government is the enemy.
Allways has been allways will be no matter what party is in charge.
Free the people disarm DC.
Starve the beast.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:31 pm“They have withdrawn this nomination to avoid having to answer more questions under oath.”
So Mercer is willing to do anything and everything up to lying under oath.
Nice to see he has some sort of limit.
*eyes rolling*
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:32 pmHow’s he going to fight criminals and terrorists if he’s afraid of a bunch of cut’n'run dhimmicrats?
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:33 pmNo surprise
The government is the enemy.
Allways has been allways will be no matter what party is in charge.
Free the people disarm DC.
Starve the beast.
Comment by Troll — June 22, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
Does that mean:
GIVE ‘EM THE BIRD!
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:36 pmVOTE FOR A THIRD!
Wow, an underling declines a nomination for a higher position…
well, whoopidy-doo…
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:37 pmI wonder if he has ever posted here using a common troll screen name.?/.Hummmm, the devil himself, if he exist’s might look like any one of these polatician’s..Can never tell what is inside the package untill the wrapper’s off…bush/cheney water carrier…Blessingss
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:38 pmYeah, I guess he does look like a pudgy Jack Bauer… heh.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:38 pmSharon ~ Hi! Perhaps Jack Bauer’s ugly step-sister?
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:40 pmPrecisely the reason to keep Skooter behind bars- it may deter others from simply lying under oath.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:40 pmBut where will Hand-in-his-pants find an honest Rethug, let alone one who would work in this digusting administration.
I’m sure that Montana District Court Judge is just THRILLED to have this @sshat back.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:46 pmRUCerious, good one….Blessings
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:47 pmCan’t they still subpoena him and force him to testify under oath regardless?? I think so.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:47 pmAs a private citizen, he can be subpoenaed and forced to testify under oath, can’t he?
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:47 pmHe does bear an uncanny resemblance to Jack Bauer, doesn’t he? Good one, TP buddies!
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:48 pm~veritas ~ I was just thinking the same thing. Why would they let him off the hook? Just because he’s got zero/zilch/nada chance of getting confirmed shouldn’t impede the investigation.
Who knew what, when about the damn list?!!!
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:49 pmNot having him in a confirmation hearing is no problem. Just subpoena him before Congress. It will accomplish the same thing. But, I doubt that he could lose his memory if he was being confirmed while he will most likely lose his memory if he testifies before Congress.
These people are all a bunch of lying scum. It’s time we clean house. Go 2008! And I hope that the new Democratic President fires every person that has been hired by George Bush. Then listen to the Republics howl.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:58 pmGuy looks like a happy version of Jack Bauer. Scary.
Comment by gummitch — June 22, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
That’s the first thing I thought when I saw that picture
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:02 pmRepublican chickenhawk coward! Typical!
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:09 pmHe quit, I laugh. Who’s the next?
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:53 pmThey will attempt to vanishinto thin air, and be “born again” for their next venture into the republican fashion show.
I hope the cop is at the door with a set of handcuffs.
Dude looks like Keifer Sutherland if he were a pencil neck geek.
June 22nd, 2007 at 8:18 pmOne small victory for sanity. These wingnuts will remain relentless though. They have no honor, no dignity, no morals, and no sense of decency. You can be sure that Bush’s next pick will be just as unqualified. He hates competence – it makes everyone too keenly aware of his lack of any.
June 22nd, 2007 at 10:55 pmLooks like Billy Boy will have to be happy terrorizing the poor people of Montana. As a former resident of that state, I can tell you he is no friend of the common man. Another Gonzo wannabe.
June 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 pmJack Bauer undercover in the DOJ. Who do you think he should torture first?
June 23rd, 2007 at 1:18 amWow, “for fear of a Senate fight”, what kind of leadership would this weak-sister provide – the same kind Bush and Gonzales provide – NONE.
June 23rd, 2007 at 10:51 amI wonder if he is the reason that Conrad Burns9(R-Abrahmof) was never pursued. Burns was very cocky during that last election. Burns took more of Jack Abrahmof’s money than any other Congressman. If Burns was sure that Mercer wasn’t really pursuing the case, that might explain his attitude and Mercer’s attempted promotion.
June 23rd, 2007 at 10:11 pm