From MSNBC:
From NBC’s Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
Per a source close to the White House, ex-Deputy Attorney General George J. Terwilliger III is “looking very good” to replace Alberto Gonzales. Former Solicitor General Ted Olson and former appellate judge Laurence Silberman are “also in the running.” And Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and former deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson “are unlikely.”
Who is George Terwilliger? SourceWatch has more:
George J. Terwillger III is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of White & Chase LLP, an international law firm [1][2].
Terwilliger was “a leader of President George W. Bush’s legal team during the Florida election recount.” “He was an advisor to the Bush-Cheney Transition and counselor to designated cabinet and other prospective appointees.” [3]
In 2003, Terwiller co-founded Americans for a Better Country with Frank J. Donatelli, former Ronald Reagan White House political director and secretary and treasurer of the Young America’s Foundation [4], and Craig Shirley, president and CEO of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs. [5]
A former U.S. Attorney for Vermont and Deputy U.S. Attorney General (1991-93) in the George H.W. Bush administration, Terwilliger “specialized in white-collar crime and terrorism.” [6]
To summarize: worked closely with George H. W. Bush, part of the infamous 2000 Florida recount legal team, and founded a multi-million GOP 527 with other high-profile right wingers.
In other words, he fits the criteria for a likely nominee. He’s mostly unknown, has a (mostly) non-controversial record, and he has shown significant loyalty to the Bush family in the past. Terwilliger could possibly get through the confirmation process without any serious roadblocks and continue the legacy of politicization and White House protectionism established by Alberto Gonzales.
Will Congress look into his conduct during the 2000 election? Will Congress look into his extensive electioneering on behalf of George W. Bush? Will congress ask themselves, are these the qualities we want in an Attorney General, a supposedly-independent individual tasked with being America’s top law-enforcement officer?
Will Congress ask the right questions? Hopefully, yes.
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[...] late August I wrote about George Terwilliger, who was on the White House’s shortlist to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney [...]
Pingback by The Next Attorney General: Ted Olson? « September 12, 2007 @ 6:50 PM[...] is the kind of nominee I figured the Bush administration would pick–an unknown career man without much of a record to speak [...]
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