Obama Taps a 5th Lawyer From the RIAA

risingfish writes "Looks like Obama did what many organizations have asked him not to do. In a disappointing move, he has tapped a fifth RIAA lawyer to a top spot in the Justice Department."

Comments

What's the problem here?

[EveryNickIsTaken]

This guy is more than qualified. Here's a snip from his bio:

Before coming to Jenner & Block in 1997, Mr. Gershengorn served for two years in the U.S. Department of Justice, first as Special Assistant and Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick, and then as Assistant to Attorney General Janet Reno. At the Justice Department, Mr. Gershengorn worked on a variety of civil and civil rights matters, and also coordinated the Department's responses to the Judicial Conference of the United States, the American Bar Association, and other organizations on rules-related issues.

Full "bio" listing is here.

Big name firms took the RIAA/MPAA cases, so it's not surprising that many of these top lawyers are getting positions in the Justice Dept. While I'm completely against the RIAA/MPAA tactics, how many lawyers would turn down the payday they were throwing their way?

Re:a new culture of arrogance and incompetence.

[Enderandrew]

This is what I keep telling everyone. If you think one party is perfect, and the other is evil, then you are naive. Everyone in Washington is looking out for their own interests, and a good chunk of them are corrupt along both party lines.

Obama appointees who had to resign, the list so far:

      * Bill Richardson: grand jury investigation for influence peddling
      * Tom Daschle: tax evasion
      * Nancy Killefer: tax lien on home for failing to pay unemployment tax for household workers
      * Judd Gregg: political differences over stimulus plan
      * Annette Nazareth: reason unspecified
      * Caroline Atkinson: reason for withdrawal not specified
      * Sanjay Gupta: reason unspecified

People who haven't withdrawn, but have had major issues:

      * Hilda Solis: husband has 16 years of tax liens against his business
      * Tim Geithner: tax problems
      * Gary Locke: potentially-suspicious fund-raising history [michellemalkin.com]
      * Ron Kirk: failed to pay $10,000 in back taxes
      * Hillary Clinton: Whitewater (which apparently she is above the law on).

Will Vivek Kundra be next on the list? Kundra's company was just raided by the FBI.

Add to that how Obama promised to be transparent, but has yet to do so, how he is covering up Bush's email scandal, and Obama actually INCREASING the domestic spy program, and you see that so far Obama isn't much better than Bush.

Re:You're just asking for this one

[TechWrite]

Right, Bush is one of those slick greasy MBA types. Completely different I'm sure...