Johnsen 'Undoubtedly Qualified' To Head Justice Department's Office Of Legal Counsel, Editorial Says

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 01 May 2009 - 4:00 PDT


Dawn Johnsen, President Obama's nominee to lead the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, is "undoubtedly qualified for the position, and she should be confirmed," a Washington Post editorial says. It adds that Johnsen's "confirmation has been held up by Republicans concerned that she's an 'ideologue,' in the words of" Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Johnsen's "nomination squeaked by on a party-line vote before the Senate Judiciary Committee and has been stalled for the past month amid filibuster threats from some Republicans," according to the editorial.

The editorial adds, "Let's put aside, for the moment, the fact that the Justice Department under President Bush was perhaps the most politicized in a generation -- and that among the most warped sections of the Bush Justice Department was the OLC." It is "nonetheless legitimate to ask whether Ms. Johnsen will behave as badly as some of her immediate predecessors," according to the editorial. "Senators concerned that Ms. Johnsen may try to contort the law to fit her beliefs can keep close tabs on her through the oversight process,"' the editorial says, concluding, "This process, by the way, should be made easier by Ms. Johnsen's pledge to make public as many OLC opinions as possible. This is a welcome change from the previous administration and another reason to confirm Dawn Johnsen" (Washington Post, 4/30).

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