Top White House Lawyer Pushed Out

[DearAbby]

TOKYO (CNN) – In the first major shakeup among President Obama's senior staff, CNN has learned that White House Counsel Greg Craig is being pushed out in favor of veteran Democratic lawyer Bob Bauer because of a dispute over the struggle to close the U.S. Military prison at Guantanamo.

A senior administration official and a senior Democratic source confirmed the move will be officially announced by the White House in coming days. The sources said it could be announced as early as Friday in Washington while the President will be in Japan starting a four-nation tour of Asia, which would make it likely the staff change will be overshadowed by other events.

Reached late Thursday evening by telephone for reaction, Craig told CNN, "I'm not going to comment" before hanging up.

Bauer is the husband of outgoing White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, who recently led a so-called "war" on Fox News. Dunn earlier this week announced she is leaving her White House post, a long-anticipated move that was not connected to the media battle.

Democratic officials said Craig was ousted because of frustration among senior White House aides over his handling of the plans to close the prison at Guantanamo. As the White House's top lawyer, Craig was pivotal in advising the President it was wise to sign an executive order during his first week in office promising to shut the prison by the end of January 2010.


More:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/12/top-white-house-lawyer-pushed-out/

[lala_rawraw]

1. i hope so given that

Craig and Rove are buddies

[Bozita]

3. if you could, a bit more?

TIA lala.

[napi21]

2. His departure has been anticipated for quite a while. nt

[chill_wind]

4. Good news. In the words of one Dana Jill Simpson,

"It is time we fill the White House Legal Counsel office with true Democrats."

Why The White House Should Slam The Door On Greg Craig

By Dana Jill Simpson
The Public Record
Aug 4th, 2009


http://pubrecord.org/special-to-the-public-record/3263/white-house-should-craig/

Dana Jill Simpson is an Alabama attorney and a former Republican campaign volunteer who testified before Congress in 2007 that she had first hand knowledge that Karl Rove and Alabama Republican were involved in the prosecution of Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat, as a way of ensuring a Republican was elected governor of the state. In a letter her attorney sent to Craig in March, Craig was accused of ethical violations for failing to disclose his ties to Rove and top Bush officals during legal matters involving the previous administration.