Very early in the new administration, Dawn Johnsen was nominated for DOJ Office of Legal Council.
The Repugs objected to the appointment not because she is progressive on many issues, but because she sat as legal counsel to NARAL. This position and her opinions would have nothing to do with her work at DOJ.
From the Washington Post today...
Senate confirms several Obama nominees
If passing health-care reform was the Senate's Christmas present to President Obama, then the confirmation of more than 30 of his nominees might as well serve as stocking stuffers or a year-end treat.
The Senate confirmed the nominees after voting on health-care reform and a raise in the debt ceiling.
But it also referred six nominees back to the White House for reconsideration, including three senior officials for the Justice Department: Dawn E. Johnsen, nominated to oversee the Office of Legal Counsel; Mary L. Smith, tapped to head the Tax Division; and Christopher H. Schroeder, nominated as assistant attorney general for legal policy.
Following the links more information is given.
Here is a lovely interactive graphic, the type of which I am so fond.
It shows President Obama's appointment progress.
Others rejected so far...
Dawn E. Johnsen: Assistant Attorney General for Office of Legal Counsel
Mary L. Smith: Assistant Attorney General for Tax Division
Christopher H. Schroeder: Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy
Craig Becker: National Labor Relations Board board member
Edward Chen and Louis Butler, U.S. District Court nominees for California and Wisconsin, respectively, were also returned to the White House.
I think this sort of information is very helpful and I have been watching the Dawn Johnsen appointment closely. She is the kind of new person we would like to see in an agency as important as DOJ.
She has active objections to torture, detention and other civil rights issues. Eric Holder has been begging Congress to move on her approval.
From TPMDC
Remember Dawn Johnsen?
It seems like eons have passed since newly-inaugurated President Obama nominated the Indiana University law professor to serve as head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, but in reality it's been about 10 months. After months of sitting in limbo, Johnsen has not received a confirmation vote in the Senate. And now, if Obama still wants her to serve in has administration, he will have to renominate her and start the confirmation process largely from scratch.
More from TPM here.
As I have said in other comments, I would really like to see this kind of aggregate listing of changes, use of regulations and new rulings by department and agency.
If anything like this type of list or table is available anywhere, please post.
Thank you.