A Good One Joins the Obama Administration

Matt Welch | January 21, 2009

To be honest, I don't really know what a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel does, or even if we need such a position, but as long as it exists I'm perfectly happy that an anti-torture, pro-Constitution guy like Marty Lederman has the job.

Reason on Lederman here.

UPDATE: As commenter Jack points out, Lederman is taking John Yoo's old job. That is very literally change I can believe in. (Reason on Yoo here.)

Comments

|1.21.09 @ 8:17AM|#

Does his 'pro-Constitution-alism' extend to my unfettered enjoyment of the first ten amendments, or will he second Holder's aversion to the 1st, the 4th, the 10th and most importantly the 2nd, which team BHO will screw/blue/tatoo?

I'm just asking.

Elemenope|1.21.09 @ 8:22AM|#

Personally I'd much prefer if the Justice Dept. were stacked with these nice, friendly lawyers, rather than the OLC. But both are important, I suppose.

|1.21.09 @ 8:41AM|#

Yeah, Lederman does appear to be a straight shooter. Wish more politicians were like him.

RT
www.privacy-web.us.tc

|1.21.09 @ 9:26AM|#

Elemenope,

I'm getting the impression that Obama intends to have a very White House-centric administration in terms of policy, but a very department-centered administration in terms of execution.

If that's the case, then putting people like Dawn Johnson and Marty Lederman in at OLC is a very, very good thing.

Jack|1.21.09 @ 9:30AM|#

"I don't really know what a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel does"

It was John Yoo's old job. So this is kind of a good thing

dhex|1.21.09 @ 9:51AM|#

"Does his 'pro-Constitution-alism' extend to my unfettered enjoyment of the first ten amendments, or will he second Holder's aversion to the 1st, the 4th, the 10th and most importantly the 2nd, which team BHO will screw/blue/tatoo?"

i don't think the 2nd is nearly the mover on the federal level that some may think. the left lost that particular kultur war issue, much like the right lost it on teh gayz.

lederman is a good choice.

|1.21.09 @ 10:03AM|#

the left lost that particular kultur war issue, much like the right lost it on teh gayz.

Well, the anti-gay marriage amendments continue to win solid majorities, so I think its a little premature to say the right lost that war. I suspect, in the long run, that they have.

And I don't believe for a minute that the gun controllers have given up. The next few decades will see a slew of cases, all or nearly all of which will approve various gun control measures.

|1.21.09 @ 10:16AM|#

Well, the anti-gay marriage amendments continue to win solid majorities, so I think its a little premature to say the right lost that war. I suspect, in the long run, that they have.

The fact that the right is currently fighting the battle over gay marriage says volumes about how much the right has lost on the front in the culture war*. Ten years ago, gay marriage wasn't even on the political map. DOMA passed 85-14 in the Senate. The way things are going now, I wouldn't be surprised if one or two dozen states legalized it a decade from now. A good example, look at how DADT is polling today compared to when it was passed. Being openly gay in the military is, rightly, going to be legal.

Conservatives are winning battles on their own turf, but they've already lost the war. These wins are the Battle of New Orleans. Plus, demographically, the supporters of gay marriage have a significant advantage. More opponents of it are dying than supporters of it are.

* This is similar to when McCain partisans were talking about how he was going to win Georgia. The fact that Georgia's status was at all in doubt is a sign of how bad things are going for that side.

Syd|1.21.09 @ 10:36AM|#

It looks to me like Obama has done very well with all his legal appointments with the possible exception, unfortunately, of the Attorney General himself.

T|1.21.09 @ 10:36AM|#

And I don't believe for a minute that the gun controllers have given up.

As long as the Joyce Foundation exists, gun controllers will keep trying.

|1.21.09 @ 11:25AM|#

Speaking of Obama appointments:

Geithner apologizes for not paying taxes
WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary-designate Tim Geithner (GYT'-nur) says he was careless in failing to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes earlier this decade and has apologized to Congress.

At his confirmation hearing, Geithner called the transgressions "careless mistakes" and unavoidable ones.

He told the Senate Finance Committee the failure to pay was "unintentional." But he also said, "I should have been more careful."

Earlier, committee Chairman Max Baucus said he thought that Geithner had made "disappointing mistakes" but also said he needed to be confirmed so he could get to work on solving the country's financial crisis.

|1.21.09 @ 11:27AM|#

Not paying $34K in taxes - now THAT'S change I can believe in. Yes I can.

|1.21.09 @ 12:00PM|#

He told the Senate Finance Committee the failure to pay was "unintentional."

What a lying sack. The IMF apparently bombards its US contractors with notices that they have to pay self-employment tax.

But the real nail in this chiseling liar's coffin is that apparently he put in for reimbursement of self-employment tax that he didn't pay.

|1.21.09 @ 12:23PM|#

Here's the rule: Any job whose title has more than one diminutive (deputy, assistant) can be eliminated without anyone noticing.

|1.21.09 @ 1:04PM|#

It's a semi-unfair charge that, when faced with issues of actual, terrifying government abuses - torturing people, dragging them from their homes, disappearing them, spying on them, real Big Brother stuff - libertarians change the subjec to taxes.

Oh, hi, RC. Hi, jsh.

nobody u no and big fan of joe|1.21.09 @ 1:15PM|#

why is not clark clifford been nominated to anything in this administration. the rightwing has already infiltrated.

|1.21.09 @ 3:31PM|#

when faced with issues of actual, terrifying government abuses - torturing people, dragging them from their homes, disappearing them, spying on them, real Big Brother stuff

I'll cop to falling into the thread jack.

But this was, if you recall, a post about Obama appointments. Not torturing people (which we haven't done in years, as far as anyone know), disappearing people (which we have never done, as far as I know).

The spying stuff got a yea vote from Obama (which I bitched about at the time, and you defended, joe).