There are rumors flying fast and furious that John Edwards is currently en route to Michigan to endorse Barack Obama.
I have no real opinion on whether or not Edwards endorsement "matters" as I'm not convinced that any endorsements really "matter" in any concrete electoral sense. Still I am pleased to see Edwards engaging with this process and trying to do what he can to precipitate an end to this damaging primary process.
I only hope that in exchange for this endorsement he has extracted a promise from Barack Obama that should Obama be elected Edwards be named the next Attorney General of the United States.
I have cautioned against placing too much faith in any one politician and the need for reform to come from the bottom up. In the case of John Edwards I am making an exception. As much as some feel that this country "needs" a President Obama I feel very strongly that we need an Attorney General Edwards. The Bush administration has wreaked untold damage on our economy, our institutions, our heritage and our legacy. Placing a man of John Edwards competency, moral clarity and passion for social justice at the head of the Department of Justice would go a long way towards repairing the damage of the Bush administration.
Think of what the Bush Department of "Justice" has wrought - sanctioned torture, partisan political prosecutions, corruption of our voting rights, destruction of our civil liberties, weakening of civil rights laws. It would be impossible to compile a comprehensive list of the abuses of the Bush DOJ. There's been a complete corruption of any sense of "justice."
John Edwards not only has the moral clarity to refocus the DOJ but he has the sense of social responsibility that could bring a new focus on prosecution of environmental crimes and corporate malfeasance.
George W. Bush has thoroughly corrupted nearly every Department of the Federal government - from HUD to the Department of Agriculture. At the end of the day as a President Obama is prioritizing where to focus attention I believe that the Department of Justice has to be the top priority. It is too high profile a position with too far-reaching power to be entrusted to anyone who does not have the highest legal, ethical and social standards. There is much potential for good from the Department, in the last 7+ years we have seen nothing but the worst. John Edwards can repair that damage and forge a new legacy for the Department of Justice.
It has been over 40 years since this country has been blessed with a young, brilliant and powerful Attorney General. After the darkness of the Bush administration it is time to renew Americans faith that our government can and will work for truth and justice for all.
3 comments:
Hear! Hear!
that would be really great were it to happen. Edwards would need two terms as AG though to clean up the current mess though and, more importantly, give us a sound foundation for how to proceed forward especially in the context of a US supreme court that has clearly moved outside the bounds of its intended powers.
Word up.
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