Obama Nominee Johnsen 'Excellent Choice' To Head White House Office Of Legal Counsel, NYT Editorial Says

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 27 Mar 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Department of Justice nominee Dawn Johnsen -- President Obama's pick to head the White House Office of Legal Counsel -- is "superbly qualified and has fought for just the sort of change the office needs," a New York Times editorial says. According to the editorial, "Republican senators' harsh criticism of the nomination is groundless." The senators' "main complaint seems to be her opposition to torture and to extreme views on presidential power," it adds. Her critics also are "outraged that early in her career [she] worked for an abortion-rights advocacy group, but her views on abortion are hardly unusual," the editorial says.

Although Johnsen was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote, "there is talk that Republicans may try to filibuster her nomination," the editorial continues. "That would be an outrage," the editorial says, concluding, "There is no corner of the executive branch in greater need of a new direction than the Office of Legal Counsel. The impressive Ms. Johnsen is an excellent choice to provide it" (New York Times, 3/26).

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