By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com President Obama is faced with a significant challenge and opportunity. The top three jobs at the Justice Department will soon be vacant, and just four of Obama’s 11 choices for assistant attorney generals have been confirmed, CBS News reports. The vacancies leave a power vacuum at an agency that has been…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Whoever is going to succeed Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is likely to face a contentious Senate, the Washington Post reports. Some Republicans even called for a delay because of the potential of midterm elections swinging in favor of the GOP in November. “Allowing Democratic senators, many of whom will…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com If Wednesday was any indication, President Obama’s choice for Department of Homeland Security may have a remarkably smooth nomination process. The Los Angeles Times reports that a Senate committee swiftly supported the appointment of Jeh Johnson, who gained fans among Republicans while the Pentagon’s chief counsel. The committee support means Johnson must…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI has acknowledged using surveillance drones on U.S. soil at least 10 times, Al Jazeera America reports. The admission comes after Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., made inquiries after FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress in June that the bureau had used drones for “limited law enforcement purposes.” According to the disclosure,…
By Spencer Ackerman The Gaurdian President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the FBI forcefully argued to the Senate that the oversight mechanisms on the government’s widespread surveillance of phone records and online habits sufficiently protect Americans’ privacy. James Comey, the former US deputy attorney general, said Tuesday that the secret surveillance court that approves…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com President Obama’s nominee for FBI director, James Comey, faces a tough confirmation battle over a host of controversial issues facing the agency. Comey, who served as deputy attorney general in President George W. Bush, is seeking Senate confirmation at a tough time for the FBI, reports The Hill. The Hill reports that…
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — After serving as acting head of the DEA since November 2007, Michele Leonhart finally got confirmed as the permanent leader of the agency. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday night unanimously voted to confirm Leonhart, making her the 10th administrator in the DEA’s history, the agency said. Leonhart is the…
