News broke on Friday that the Trump administration is continuing purge Obama-era holdovers still holding positions of influence. Attorney General Jeff Sessions "requested" the resignations of 46 U.S. Attorneys on Friday, which of course has liberals and the MSM once again "outraged," despite the fact that the number is less than half of what Janet Reno purged when she began her tenure as Bill Clinton's AG, which was all 93 U.S. attorneys, in 1993.
This is what many Trump supporters have been waiting patiently (and some not so patiently) for, but we do note that the same type of "restructuring" occured in February by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, when he started "cleaning house" at the State Department.
Four top career officials at the State Department left the same day Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson paid a visit to Foggy Bottom to introduce himself, officials said Thursday.
The four — including Patrick Kennedy, State’s long-time undersecretary for management, who had been with the department since 1973 — and the others left on Wednesday.
"As is standard with every transition, the outgoing administration, in coordination with the incoming one, requested all politically appointed officers submit letters of resignation," acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.
"These positions are political appointments, and require the president to nominate and the Senate to confirm them in these roles. They are not career appointments but of limited term."
The reason for the escalation in purging Obama-era holdovers is about more than the constant "leaks" coming from different members of agencies throughout the intelligence community, but as a natural part of a transition of not just one president to another, but of a top down change and transition of priorities when it is an opposing party's candidate that is taking over an administration, with the subsequent policy and agenda changes.
The reason this is critical for the Trump administration was clearly shown when Obama holdover Sally Yates, was acting as Attorney General until Jeff Sessions was confirmed, and she abused the power of her position to refuse to defend the Trump immigration order in court. She was immediately terminated and replaced with Dana Boente as acting AG, who unlike Yates, was willing to do his job, until Sessions was finally confirmed and was able to take over the responsibilities himself.
AG Sessions demand for the resignation of the 46 U.S. Attorneys follows on the heels of Sean Hannity recently making the case of why it was to time to "purge saboteurs from federal government," with his reasoning being preventing the "leaks" that have plagued the Trump administration, largely believed to be perpetrated by Obama holdovers.
While no one is accusing the 46 U.S. Attorneys that Sessions just asked to resign of being saboteurs, the agencies under Obama for the last eight years have been accused of becoming overly politicized, and the deconstruction, restructuring and replacing of political appointees should be a priority in any new administration.
Many of the former U.S. attorneys under Obama had already resigned, as is normal, and aside from the 46 just asked to tender their resignation, the Trump administration, has asked Rod Rosenstein of Maryland and Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente, who has served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to stay on, according to Justice Department spokesman, Peter Carr.
For critics that think the "cleaning house" isn't happening at a rapid enough pace, we need to offer a reminder that Democrats in Congress stalled confirmations of Trump nominees, with Tillerson not confirmed until early February and Sessions not until February 8, 2017.
Once confirmed, Sessions has handled this latest action responsibly, by not immediately cleaning house, but by deliberating, most likely going through the records of each, which is evidenced by asking Boente and Rosenstein to stay on, then acting accordingly. Now the Trump administration will have nominate replacements to be confirmed.
It is also noteworthy that while 46 U.S. Attorneys were asked for their resignations, that does not mean that all would be accepted or become immediately effective, which in the case of the man known as the "Wall Street Enforcer," Preet Bharara, is actually a likely case in point as he met with both Trump and incoming Attorney General Sessions months ago where he was asked to remain to continue with some high level cases, including the end stages of an investigation into New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the beginning phases of trials for two close allies of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
BOTTOM LINE
Trump is "de-Bamifying" the administration and the intelligence agencies, and for those that continue to think that he isn't doing it fast enough, ask yourselves whether you want fast or you want responsible, because dumping everyone from the get-go, would have undoubtedly left the U.S. at great risk.
Personally, I think dealing with a few leaks and the inherent time it takes to put those fires out is far less dangerous to the nation as a whole than leaving us blind to potential threats with a mass purge without the bodies to replace those being purged.
