Andrew Zajac
Acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer today pulled out of the running for Senate confirmation to be the permanent number three in the Justice Department.
Mercer faced tough sledding after his name turned up in White House-Justice Department e-mail traffic planning last year's removal of nine U.S. attorneys.
He is the sixth senior Justice official to step aside since the uproar over the firings began early this year.
The Senate Judiciary Committee noted the passing of his candidacy with this statement:
NOTICE OF CANCELLED FULL COMMITTEE HEARING – The hearing on “Executive Nomination” scheduled by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building has been cancelled. The President is withdrawing Mr. Mercer’s nomination.







Comments
Wasn't it Dear Leader who used to complain that the Dems wouldn't let his nominees get an "up or down vote"? Now he's the one preventing the votes.
Once a spoiled child, always a spoiled child.
Posted by: a blinkin | June 22, 2007 6:11 PM
There's no "scandal" to be a "casualty" of, Andy.
Posted by: Bruce | June 22, 2007 6:29 PM
Ok AG, let's hear your excuse for silence on Cheney's most recent breaking of federal law? You should have been the first casualty. You need to be the seventh; and Dick and GW should follow you out.
Posted by: Rick/Sneads Ferry, NC | June 22, 2007 7:21 PM
Vice President Cheney was elected to office to succeed the President --if for whatever reason he cannot serve--elected officials who run for office are not subject to executive orders period. You Dems as usual will use any trick or number to hurt Bush or Cheney and to mess with the good AG-- you say you like diversity but, not if it's Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice or Alberto Gonzales--they are open season in your skewed diversity. Hate is rampant in the Dem party even though they swear they are for tolerance don't believe it. Look at how they act to African Americans, Hispanic or others if you a liberal Dem we're for you if not get lost. Talk about hypricrosy they know what they are doing they will never change-- it's ours or these terrible GOP people stop the real rascist Dems! Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | June 22, 2007 10:16 PM
Short version of this story:
Republican = corruption.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | June 22, 2007 10:43 PM
Why do you continue to defend the neo-convicts? They sold you out, they're going to jail, and your entire political party is falling apart. An idea started by the Great American President, Abraham Lincoln, was destroyed by a complete idiot, George Bush, and a bunch of corporate money sucking businessmen. I would love to see Cheney locked in a room with Lincoln for 5 minutes.
Posted by: Mrs. Jesus | June 22, 2007 11:53 PM
Who's left?
Posted by: lochnessmonster | June 23, 2007 6:47 AM
Al "Fredo" Gonzales better watch himself.
One of these days Dubya's going to reach over and give "Fredo" a big, wet sloppy one then it's under the bus for him too.
You have to wonder what ALL the black Republican members of Congress have to say about this? Jerry?
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 23, 2007 8:38 AM
Look, why don't we just contract the Justice Department out to a firm in a Banana Republic. One in Honduras, Guatemala, or even Peru. It won't get any better than that any time soon. Outsourcing seems appropriate for everything else, even payroll checks. This isn't being facetious, but pragmatic. Incompetents and crooks run the DOJ anyway, so we may as well do it. Most Americans don't care and cannot even tell you what is going on and wouldn't notice any difference.
Posted by: GW | June 23, 2007 10:01 AM
If you contract out the Department of Justice then you have to contract out the office of the Vice President, since he doesn't know how he's supposed to be classified. Halliburton/ Exxon-Mobile flunky?
Posted by: Mrs. Jesus | June 23, 2007 11:45 AM
Jerry White- Your comments are nothing but inaccurate statements, falsehoods, hypocripsy, contradictions, and poor English. They are also amusing in some roundabout way. Keep on listening to Limbaugh and Fox Lies, loser.
Posted by: Doug R. | June 25, 2007 9:55 AM