U.S. Sen. Richard Burr has unnecessarily injected partisan politics into the question of when a Bush administration-appointed U.S. attorney will be replaced by one chosen by President Obama.
Burr now says he will block the nomination of Charlotte lawyer Thomas Walker until the current U.S. attorney in Raleigh, George Holding, completes his investigations into former Gov. Mike Easley and the former U.S. senator and presidential candidate, John Edwards.
U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president; it is customary to replace them when administrations change.
Walker cannot take the job until he is confirmed by the Senate. Burr says that he will support Walker's nomination at the appropriate time. But for now, Burr can hold up the confirmation of a U.S. attorney for North Carolina through one of the U.S. Senate's arcane and anti-democratic rules. Individual senators can block the president's nominees simply by failing to file what is known as a "blue slip."
Holding has been investigating the two former office holders, both Democrats, since the late days of President George W. Bush's second term. By all accounts, he has done a thorough and professional job.
North Carolina's junior U.S. senator, Kay Hagan, has let the Obama administration know that she also opposes Holding being replaced until he is through with his investigation. But as a Democrat, her stand in that regard keeps partisan politics out of the situation. She's supporting a Republican in the job until it is complete.
Burr should have stayed out of this. By announcing that he will block Walker, he makes it appear that someone was going to push the nomination through, and thus replace Holding, when there is no evidence of any such thing. To the contrary, Hagan is positioned to keep that from happening. And she can do so without partisan overtones.
Sad to say, but Burr looks as if he is pandering to his party base on a matter of criminal justice.
Partisan politics do not belong in the Justice Department. During Bush's second term, White House power brokers fired several Republicans who they determined were not adequately pursuing investigations of Democratic politicians. It was a stain on our justice system.
Furthermore, Burr should be aware that North Carolina has suffered in the past when it comes to presidential appointments and the Senate's confirmation process. There is a sad history of North Carolina judges being denied confirmation to the federal bench because of partisan wrangling within our Senate delegation.
Burr should have let this situation play itself out.
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