Outside the Beltway

Orrin Hatch Our Next Attorney General?

James Joyner · Monday, April 2, 2007 · 2 comments

Tim Russert asked Sen. Orrin Hatch on yesterday’s “Meet the Press” whether he’d be interested in the AG’s job:

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Hatch, let me ask you a simple question, however. If, in fact, the president decides that Mr. Gonzales should step down, what…

SEN. HATCH: Oh, well, that’s the president’s decision.

MR. RUSSERT: Right. And the president came to you and asked you to be the next attorney general, would you do that?

SEN. HATCH: Well, he’s not going to come to me. But the fact is that…

MR. RUSSERT: Yeah, but if he—if he did, saying you’re easily confirmable by the Senate as a member of that club, a Republican governor in Utah could replace your successor. “Orrin Hatch, we need you to do this.” Would you do it?

SEN. HATCH: Well, I’ve irritated the chairman of the committee just this morning. It’d be really tough for me to get confirmed, I’m sure. But the fact is, of course, anybody would serve this country. I would serve this country any way I could. But, but they’re not going to pick me. But the point is, you know, it’s up to the president.

The chairman in question, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), had a slightly different take:

MR. RUSSERT: Would Senator Hatch be an acceptable replacement to Mr. Gonzales?

SEN. LEAHY: Well, I, I—the rumor on, on the Hill this week was he was actively running for it, but, you know, I’m going to have to leave…

I can’t imagine why a Senator of Hatch’s stature would be interested in giving up his seat for a 21 month gig as Attorney General. Nor, frankly, do I see why appointing someone so well known for his partisanship to the job would solve the problem of the appearance that the DOJ is too partisan.

via Political Wire