By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — Ex-Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft is off the hook. In an 8-0 ruling, the Supreme Court tossed out a lawsuit against Ashcroft. It overturned a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, saying the former Attorney General under President Bush enjoyed “qualified immunity” from a lawsuit filed by Abdullah al Kidd,…
By Allan Lengel ticklethe wire.com Let the games begin. With the smiling nominee flanked to his left, and his vice president to his right, President Obama on Monday morning announced the nomination of Solicitor General Elana Kagan for the Supreme Court. Heaping superlatives upon superlatives, he called her a “superb” Solicitor General and said she…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — Janet Napolitano, who has served as Secretary of Homeland Security since January 2009, is reported to be among the top candidates to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Napolitano has a pretty deep resume. She served as Governor of Arizona, Attorney General of the state and as…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON –– Three of the leading candidates reportedly being considered to replace the retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens all have had or do have ties to the Justice Department and two are Jewish, according to media reports. Elena Kagan, 49, the U.S. Solicitor General, the fourth highest ranking post…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — Elena Kagan was sworn in Friday, becoming the first woman Solicitor General of the United States. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. swore in the former Dean of Harvard Law School, in a ceremony held in his U.S. Supreme Court chambers. “Elena Kagan’s intelligence, experience and commitment to the…
By Alland Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON – As expected, private attorney David Ogden, a former Justice Department lawyer under President Clinton, will be the nominee for Deputy Attorney General. President elect-Barack Obama made the announcement Monday morning. Obama also announced that he planned to nominate three other people from the Clinton administration to key posts: Elena…
