It's going to be ugly to watch notions of postpartisanship die. What is going to be far worse is to watch it in the context of an economy losing 500,000 to 700,000 jobs a month until a stimulus kicks in. If Obama can't get Holder through, I hope he chooses an extremely liberal and aggressive Attorney General that will hold the GOP accountable for their crimes. It's obvious these guys are so far gone they won't even pretend to respect the popular will.
Written by DMI's Civil Justice Fellow, Kia Franklin.
He still has to undergo the formal vetting process, but Eric Holder looks to be Obama's AG pick. So, how will Holder hold up when it comes to civil justice? On TortDeform we've talked extensively about a Pro-Civil Justice Presidential Platform, but access to justice for every American requires leadership and hard work from more than just the President. "America's lawyer" and "top cop", the Attorney General, has perhaps the most important role in advancing policies that preserve Americans' cherished legal rights and strengthen their access to effective, fair civil courts.
We must pay close attention here. As former AGs John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales taught us so well, the AG has a critical role in protecting--or subverting--our cherished constitutional rights and protections. In the coming weeks as we learn more about his positions on various issues I'll do my best to keep you updated.
In the mean time, three quick things worth considering are: Holder's past efforts to advance equal access to justice; his ties to the progressive-leaning constitutional law group, American Constitution Society; and some insights from the balanced analysis of Glenn Greenwald at Salon. More below the fold.
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