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First: great stuff Glenn - Thanks!. And lots of great dialogue.
I was elated to hear that Dawn Johnsen was Obama’s pick to take charge of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). She is one of the best appointments yet (IMO) out of Obama's many excellent picks.
I became a huge Dawn Johnsen fan after watching her testimony to Congress on the 'secret laws' hearings on CSPAN.
(CSPAN is great, but why is all the good stuff always on at 2AM ;-) )
Much of the Bush administration's flagrant disregard for the Constitution had the OLC at the center of it all.
They ran an inside circle run-around. The Yoo headed OLC drafted opinions to support the nefarious intentions of the administration. The administration then carries out their agenda offering the support/cover of the OLC opinion as evidence of the legality (plausible deniability really) should their tactics ever come to light. However, they rarely did as this administration released very little of this usually disseminated information - keeping even Congress in the dark.
It’s like robbing a bank and saying ‘it’s o.k. – I asked my lawyer beforehand, and he wrote this paper for me saying it was fine!’
Dawn Johnsen was a VERY vocal opponent to these tactics and spoke with authority on the matter having severed in the OLC under Clinton.
Her appoint to head the OLC is a HUGE AND MASSIVE direction in the right step! YESSSSSS!!!!
Our Country is blessed to have someone so able, willing, honest and brilliant step up to serve.
(her testimony to Congress on the 'secret law' of this administration was enthralling - yes, really! Did you watch the CSPAN video?)
Obama's other picks in this area are of similar value.
Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, an eight-term congressional veteran and administrative expert, is being tapped to head the CIA.
Retired Adm. Dennis Blair is Obama's choice to be director of national intelligence.
With our new President being a scholarly Constitutional layer, and the people he is surrounding himself with, the heart of America - the Constitution - has found some champions on which to find firmer ground.
