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| Koh, No? Critics Decry Obama Nominee for State Department Legal Adviser |
| 2009-04-01 |
| President Obama's nominee to be the State Department's legal adviser has ignited a fury among conservative critics who say his views are a threat to American democracy -- an accusation the White House on Tuesday called "outrageous" and "completely baseless." Former Clinton administration official Harold Koh, who has been dean of the Yale Law School since 2004, once wrote that the U.S. was part of an "axis of disobedience" with North Korea and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Koh also has long held that the U.S. should accept international law when deliberating cases at home. Obama nominated Koh on March 23 to become the State Department's legal adviser -- an appointment that, if confirmed by the Senate, will give Koh far-reaching influence over the extent to which international norms affect U.S. law. "This is not a desk job. This guy will be the face of American international law around the world," said Steven Gross, legal expert and fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "The top legal adviser at State travels extensively and is involved in international legal negotiations, treaties and in major United Nations conferences. "The president should have the right to choose the most conservative or liberal legal advisers to give them advice, but this is much more than that. The concern is that he cares as much about -- if not more about -- international law and integrating that into the American judicial system than he does about protecting American prerogatives and American sovereignty," Gross said. The White House vehemently defended Koh's nomination on Tuesday, telling FOXNews.com that he is "one of the most respected members of the legal community." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 "one of the most respected members of the legal community." Which legal community? |
| Posted by: newc 2009-04-01 13:38 |
| #1 You go, Mr. Koh. Shooting political dissidents in the back of the head and harvesting their organs is also an international norm in Mr. Koh ancestral homeland. Lot's of Washington DC fossils are no doubt hoping for some fresh organs. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-04-01 08:35 |