Suggestions for Obama's Transition Team

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:08:09 PM EST
Tags: Barack Obama (all tags)

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While I whole-heartedly supported Barack Obama for President from the time he became the Democratic nominee, I disagreed with his position on crime issues several times during the campaign. Last night, in his victory speech, he said:

There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. ...
I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.

As President, Obama will be appointing an Attorney General, 93 U.S. Attorneys, a few Supreme Court justices and many federal judges. He will champion or oppose legislation on crime issues and penalties. [More..]

ABC News reports President-Elect Barack Obama has named AZ Gov. and former federal prosecutor Janet Napolitano, former Denver Mayor and Clinton Transportation and Energy Secretary Federico Pena and former Clinton Commerce Secretary William Daley to his transition team.

Here is my first request -- that he add a federal criminal defense lawyer to his transition team.

My suggestions: TalkLeft's TChris, aka T. Christopher Kelly, who argued the landmark sentencing case Booker v. United States in the Supreme Court, and in 5 years of writing for TalkLeft, has never written a post I disagreed with, who is very level-headed and was an Obama supporter from the beginning -- or TalkLeft Alumni Last Night in Little Rock, aka John Wesley Hall, the current President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL,) who also has argued cases in the Supreme Court and is the author of two leading casebooks, one on search and seizure and the other on legal ethics.

A law professor won't do. A prosecutor won't do. Obama should name someone who fights every day in the trenches of our federal courtrooms for equal justice and fairness for the accused.

Obama's appointees, from the Attorney General to federal prosecutors and judges, will be responsible for decisions that deprive tens of thousands of people of liberty during his first presidential term. They deserve a strong advocate, a Champion of Liberty, on his transition team.

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Suggestions for Obama's Transition Team | 35 comments (35 topical)

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I'm sure Obama would be happy. . . (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by LarryInNYC on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:15:01 PM EST

to listen to you.

Unfortunately, he'll probably also be happy to listen to people whose viewpoint is the opposite of yours. And I think there are more of them than of you.

Or you Jeralynn (5.00 / 0) (#2)
by coigue on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:15:39 PM EST

Thanks Jeralyn ... I think (5.00 / 4) (#3)
by TChris on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:17:50 PM EST

While I would do anything President Obama asked of me, I'm not at all sure I'd want to leave my day job for two months. Apart from that, I'm not remotely qualified. You or John Wesley would be much better for the transition team. Besides, I'm holding out for the position of White House Drug Czar so I could immediately abolish all of the position's job duties and covert the office into a big grow room.

Big Grow Room (none / 0) (#4)
by squeaky on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:19:37 PM EST

lol


A waste of electricity. (none / 0) (#7)
by Fabian on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:26:32 PM EST

Running all those lights really burns megawatts. Use sunlight.


: Solar and Wind Powered (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by squeaky on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:29:06 PM EST

A great symbol for the new admin. THe windmill can rest right on top of the dome with solar panels surrounding it.

Did you notice (none / 0) (#5)
by coigue on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:23:45 PM EST

the medical marajuana legalization passed in MI?


yes, I wrote about it (none / 0) (#6)
by Jeralyn on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:26:20 PM EST

here. Please stay on topic for this post.


: yes ma'am. (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by coigue on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:26:49 PM EST

Upon your appointment... (none / 0) (#19)
by kdog on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:43:33 PM EST

as Drug Czar, I'd gladly apply for any position within an ONDCP under your supervision...gopher, handyman, hatchetman...even just to hang out and water the plants...sh*t I'll volunteer and work for free:)


: me too. (none / 0) (#21)
by coigue on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:51:24 PM EST

I am a great gardener!

Now.. (none / 0) (#34)
by lentinel on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 07:30:56 PM EST

that's the kind of change I could believe in.


I fully support (5.00 / 3) (#11)
by Steve M on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:29:18 PM EST

TChris for the transition team, BTD to run the messaging shop, and Jeralyn for Chief Defender of the Constitution!

BTD: director of legislative (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by oculus on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:37:11 PM EST

program


or BTD (none / 0) (#22)
by coigue on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:52:10 PM EST

messaging and PR


: Why yes. Why didn't I think of that. (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by oculus on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 03:05:40 PM EST

BTD as Public Relations Director for the Obama administration. Vastly entertaining.

Given his prognostitative victory. . . (none / 0) (#23)
by LarryInNYC on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:55:17 PM EST

I think BTD has to be chief bookmaker in the new Administration.

Seriously, while Jeralyn's blogging and professional interests run together, in the case of BTD I think his professional life and blogging are independent of each other -- and quite possibly occasionally at odds.


Jeralyn, did you ... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Robot Porter on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:30:06 PM EST

email this to the campaign? You should.

Couldn't hurt.

Why don't you encourage (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by MyLeftMind on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:33:55 PM EST

the Obama team to eliminate the gay wedge issue by proposing judges who support equality.

Surely you've got his ear now that you've published your memo above...

My chief issue (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by Jeralyn on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:43:23 PM EST

is the protection of rights of those accused of crime. I'll continue to support others who advocate for civil equality and when I write him about judicial appointments, will include that. Right now, he's appointing a transition team, he's not nominating Judges. All in good time.


: absolutely fair (none / 0) (#30)
by wystler on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 04:07:14 PM EST

... but do you feel that Cassandra Butts, Lisa Brown & Melody Barnes will totally ignore rights of the accused?

i fear you're going to (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by cpinva on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:40:57 PM EST

be terribly disappointed with an obama presidency jeralyn. nothing he's said or done previously, causes me to believe he's going to do anything remotely akin to rocking the boat, with regards to criminal law.

no congressional democrat will push it either, fearing its use as ammunition by the next republican challenger.

the republicans have managed to convince enough people that there's a drug addled mugger (or pedophile sex offender, take your pick) behind every tree, and the only sure way to deal with the "problem" is to put everyone in jail. to suggest otherwise, facts notwithstanding (americans don't do well with facts), is a sure-fire way to be attacked as "soft on crime".

go find a nice bottle of merlot, you'll need it.

If not our fine hostess... (5.00 / 0) (#20)
by kdog on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:50:37 PM EST

or our fine contributors, how about Ron Kuby?

I don't understand? (none / 0) (#9)
by Blowback on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:28:13 PM EST

"Obama's appointees, from the Attorney General to federal prosecutors and judges, will be responsible for decisions that deprive tens of thousands of people of liberty during his first presidential term. "

How do we assume that Obama will deprive "tens of thousands of people of liberty during his first presidential term"???

we didn't, you misread (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Jeralyn on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:33:32 PM EST

Judges and prosecutors will make those decisions, not Obama. He will appoint all 93 U.S. Attorneys, the Attorney General and many judges.


Presumably. . . (5.00 / 2) (#14)
by LarryInNYC on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:33:47 PM EST

tens of thousands of people will be tried for crimes, convicted, and sentenced to prison (thus being deprived of their liberty) during an average four year period.

Jeralyn is concerned that instrumentality that oversees these actions include representation of people whose primary concern is the legal rights of defendants.

(That is, if I may presume to speak for Jeralyn)


right, I sort of understand, (none / 0) (#26)
by Blowback on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 03:18:47 PM EST

like the 800,000 who will be busted & jailed for pot? So will Obama appoint judges who will refuse to convict/prosecute?


don't post false information (none / 0) (#28)
by Jeralyn on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 03:43:45 PM EST

here please. 800,000 people will not be jailed by federal judges for pot in four years no matter who the judges or what the quantities are. 6,253 people were sentenced in federal court for pot nationally in 2007.

Cases involving possession or trafficking of small amounts of marijuana aren't brought in federal courts. Possession of all drugs for personal use is a misdemeanor under federal law.

The President does not appoint state court judges.


: sorry. thanks! (none / 0) (#29)
by Blowback on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 03:46:37 PM EST

at least this clarifies stuff for me & probably many others.

But it may take an African-American (none / 0) (#24)
by SeeEmDee on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 03:03:51 PM EST

to take on an issue that hurts African-Americans far more than any other minority group...as it was deliberately intended to.

Trying to shout him down for any prospective decrying of the underlying racism of the DrugWar will only backfire of those trying to do so.

: you are working under (none / 0) (#32)
by cpinva on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 04:22:57 PM EST

the false assumption that any republican challenger cares about this, that they would have an ounce of shame.

Trying to shout him down for any prospective decrying of the underlying racism of the DrugWar will only backfire of those trying to do so.
they don't, not one microgram. if they did, bush would never have been nominated, much less elected. bear in mind, these are the same people now whining about "bi-partisanship".
do you notice a pattern here?

Kerry is rumored (none / 0) (#27)
by WS on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 03:42:02 PM EST

to be a candidate for Sec. of State. The right wing must be apoplectic!

: And Robert F. Kennedy Jr (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by Politalkix on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 04:09:21 PM EST

is rumored to be the candidate for head of the Environmental Protection Agency. If this is true, it will drive Republicans to despair :-)

good call jeralyn (none / 0) (#33)
by Uri on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 05:55:50 PM EST

and he should draft a legal aid attorney too.

check out this book to read people (none / 0) (#35)
by cjc on Thu Nov 06, 2008 at 12:22:04 PM EST

Suggestions for Obama choosing his team-
cross-reference Gary Goldschneider's and Joost
Elffers' book- The Secret Language of
Relationships first.

It shows Emanuel would make a great
freelancer but he's not the best pick for
someone who works directly with Obama or
Biden.