MT US Attorney William Mercer wants to spend more time with his family suppressing Indian votes...or something.
Mainly, he doesn't want to talk to Leahy in confirmation hearings, about how NM USA David Iglesias gets canned supposedly for being an absentee, while Mercer gets away with holding two positions, one in MT, one and in DC as Associate Attorney General.
CNN:
he Justice Department’s Acting Associate Attorney General withdrew his name from nomination to the third-highest ranking job...
William Mercer has served in an Acting capacity in the position since last September, but his nomination has been delayed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
...
"I have concluded that it is highly unlikely that both the Judiciary Committee and the Senate will take prompt action on my nomination in the near term, if ever," Mercer said ...
....
Mercer had been serving in a dual role as Associate Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for Montana–a post he will continue to hold.
"I have concluded that it is highly unlikely that both the Judiciary Committee and the Senate will take prompt action on my nomination in the near term, if ever," Mercer said ...
....
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) issued a statement blaming the Justice Department for Mercer’s decision.
"The White House has found many ways to keep sunlight from reaching some of the darker corners of the Bush Justice Department, but this is a new once," Leahy said. "With a confirmation hearing looming next Tuesday they have withdreawn this nomination to avoid having to answer more questions under oath," he said.
Mercer may know some embarrassing stuff:
Between 2001 and 2005, Mercer served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), a group of fifteen U.S. Attorneys who advise the Attorney General on policy matters. Attorney General Ashcroft appointed Mercer to Chairman of the AGAC from May 1, 2004, until he was appointed Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.
SOMEBODY made "THE LIST", and SOMEBODY KNOWS who that somebody was. Why couldn't Mercer be one of those somebodies?
Let's see now, the DoJ is really emptying out: Sampson, Goodling, Battle, Elston, McNulty, Mercer, Griffin...who am I missing? I guess Regent's law school will be called upon again for replacements.