Fitzgerald would not comment for the article

December 21, 2005 8:36 AM

National Law Journal names Patrick Fitzgerald Lawyer of the Year
posted by orthogonality (16 comments total)

Cool.
posted by delmoi at 8:40 AM on December 21, 2005

Does anyone think this guy has Presidential ambitions? I think if he does oil and a lot of those type of guys will do everything they possibily can to stop him! He doesn't seem to like people who don't play by the rules...
posted by UMDirector at 8:41 AM on December 21, 2005

This doesnt surprise me. I watched the entire news conference when they indicted Libby, and this guy was on the ball. He knew exactly what he could and couldnt say, and was very detail-oriented. He knows his shit and seems very interested in Justice and not politics or power. I dont think he'll ever get elected president simply because he is too interested in Justice and not playing the politics game.
posted by SirOmega at 8:58 AM on December 21, 2005

You know who else is interested in Justice?

Batman.

Kinda makes you think, don't it.
posted by selfnoise at 9:01 AM on December 21, 2005

Gotta agree.

Of course New York had a real contender too.

Wonder if Ashcroft was considered? Or Gonzalez?
posted by nofundy at 9:25 AM on December 21, 2005

Halle Berry was wedded to Justice for a few years, but it didn't work out.

On topic: This is a good choice. Fitzgerald is a fine lawyer and public servant by most accounts. But you do need to be able to "play the politics game" to some extent in order to get a political appointment like he has. All federal judges, U.S. Attorneys, etc. need to pay their respective political respects to get that presidential phone call offering them the job. Fortunately that hasn't limited his zeal in this case.
posted by brain_drain at 9:28 AM on December 21, 2005

I like the guy, he seems to be no-nonsense and passionate about the law and justice and as persistent as a bulldog.

Fitzgerald has massive credibility with me and I always look forward to his latest announcements and indictments. Anyone want to make a wager on who's next? Smart money's on Rove but Vegas bookies are giving some really attractive odds on Cheney.

sirOmega, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Honest and integrity are about a thousand times more important to me than charm and hokey good old boyness.
posted by fenriq at 10:08 AM on December 21, 2005

spitzer/fitzgerald in '08!

"taking the fight right up the bastard's asses!"
posted by Hat Maui at 10:18 AM on December 21, 2005

Why the portrait?
posted by orange swan at 10:21 AM on December 21, 2005

sirOmega, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Honest and integrity are about a thousand times more important to me than charm and hokey good old boyness.

So would I. Hell, I'd love to see McCain/Fitz run in '08. Thats my "dream team" - I'd definately pick them over Hillary (keep your hands off my video games).
posted by SirOmega at 10:24 AM on December 21, 2005

Frist will be the conservative's first choice, but I believe that his inability to separate himself from Bush is gonna bite him in the butt. McCain will be the next president, no question about that. My guess for his running mate would be Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel (another Republican not afraid to break ranks with Bush). Both of them may even run in the primaries, but I think Hagel would be better served running after some Vice Presidential experience.

It should be clear to anyone that Fitzgerald has NO political aspirations, which is one of the things that makes him such an effective prosecutor. Politics is the art of compromise, and this guy doesn't have the word in his vocabulary.
posted by spock at 10:44 AM on December 21, 2005

But wouldn't Fitzgerald be an unbelievable Attorney General?
posted by spock at 10:46 AM on December 21, 2005

Frist will be a laughably bad candidate. The GOP made fun of Kerry for looking like Lurch and they think Frist won't get shredded? That and the fact that he's a party-line humpmonkey.

spock, I know Fitz's got no political aspirations. That's part of what makes him such an attractive candidate. Who was it that said something to the effect of never elect anyone who wants power?

Do you think that anti-torture battle was a way for McCain to get some street cred and seperation from Bush? Yeah, so did I.
posted by fenriq at 11:30 AM on December 21, 2005

Didn't McCain turn right around on that and go back to tonguing Bush's torturous rectum after the cameras went off, though? Voting yes or, uh, no on the bill anyone with sense would have voted no or yes on. (As you can tell my recall of the details is shaky.)
posted by kenko at 12:39 PM on December 21, 2005

Runner-up Charles Swift was previously discussed here.
posted by homunculus at 8:29 PM on December 21, 2005

Do you think that anti-torture battle was a way for McCain to get some street cred and seperation from Bush? Yeah, so did I.

Huh? We're supposed to give McCain credit for sponsoring an anti-torture bill? As a former POW who was tortured regularly for about six years, sponsporing an anti-torture law is the absolute bare minimum we should expect of him on this subject.

There are already laws against torture which the president is currently bound by and under which he should be prosecuted. You know, if he were truly against torture.

Instead, what McCain is doing is giving cover to the administration (yes, they screamed "don't throw me into the briar patch") because it gives the public the false impression that there were no laws banning torture before this, and therefore this legislation is righting a wrong.

No, McCain gets a D- grade at best for this, given his experience. Really, he should get an F for failing to push for prosecution of those who have violated the very same Geneva conventions that his captors were violating when they tortured him.

At the naval academy they teach the officers in training never to lie, cheat or steal. But McCain has been supporting and defending people who lie, cheat, steal, and worse. That makes him just as culpable.
posted by Davenhill at 2:14 AM on December 22, 2005