Is David Leyton too busy to be AG?

Who is David Leyton, besides the democrats choice for AG. He's currently the Genesee County prosecutor. Flint, Beecher, Mt Morris, Burton, Flint, Beecher, Flint, and Beecher. Why do I keep mentioning Flint and Beecher? Because there's been a stabbing problem there.

From the Detroit Free Press

A serial killer suspect, who allegedly went on a multistate stabbing spree, was arraigned on one charge of assault with intent to murder in Flint’s 68th District Court.

Elias Abuelazam, 33, is accused of stabbing 14 men in the Flint area, including five who died, and attacking four others in Virginia and Ohio. All of the attacks were on men and most were African American.

Abuelazam appeared for his arraignment via video from the jail. He was charged in one nonfatal attack in the Flint area and being held in the Genesee County Jail. Judge Nathaniel Perry III ordered he be held on no bond.

Abuelazam will be back in court Aug. 31 for a pretrial hearing.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said in court that more charges – including murder charges for the deaths of five Flint-area men – will be filed against Abuelazam.

“I believe he is not sick,” Leyton said of Abuelazam at a news conference after the hearing. “He is evil.”

Now he is innocent till proven guilty. It's the prosecutor's job, to prove cases beyond a reasonable doubt if there is probable cause. A key part of that is getting information. Here's the problem with Leyton.

From WTOP

While police and prosecutors in three jurisdictions publicly describe cooperation as they build cases against serial stabbing suspect Elias Abuelazam, WTOP has learned the top prosecutors in Flint, Michigan and Loudoun County have never talked to one another.

"You'd think they'd return my phone calls, especially since I have information that will help them," says frustrated Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Plowman.

Plowman described leaving a detailed message for an assistant prosecutor, asking to talk directly with Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton.

He's still waiting.

"I know multi-jurisdictional cases are tough," says Plowman. "But I should be able to get my counterpart on the phone."

More than two weeks after police linked three August attacks of black men in Leesburg to a string of fatal stabbings in Flint, Mich., a spokesperson confirms Leyton has never spoken with Plowman, saying "I can't explain it."

After that story, they finally got in contact today. Finally. If this guy is guilty, the last thing needed is for someone to botch the case OJ style.

Elect the AG and Secretary of State

I don't often agree with Mark Meadows. He's the state rep representing East Lansing and was their mayor while I was at MSU. This is an exception. Even more rarer is that this is a constitutional amendment I support.

House Resolution WW. This would place on the ballot a vote for a constitutional amendment to make the Attorney General and Secretary of State a primary election race instead of a convention race. HB 5914 makes the procedures for those two races the same as for the other offices like Governor.

The problem right now with those two offices is that they are nominated by convention. The convention to nominate them is in September after the August primary. That gives them two months to get their name out to the voters. That's not an easy task, and puts them at a major disadvantage as the gubernatorial race gets all the attention.

Another Meadows bill in the elections mold would place on the ballot a constitutional amendment to lengthen house terms to four years and senate terms to six years. I don't support that one. I understand that as a way to lengthen term limits, which are popular with the people, although unpopular with a lot of insiders on both sides of the fence. (I also oppose term limits because it creates 4 year lame ducks to jam unpopular bills through  - like the 04 fee increases).

The election of AG and Secretary of State through primaries is something however I support 100%.

Eric Holder - Unacceptable - Janet Reno part II

While there isn't a chance in hell it will happen, the US Senate needs to tell Obama that Holder is unacceptable and that he needs to pick someone better.

We do not need someone with disrespect for freedom and someone who thinks the government is above the law like Eric Holder and Janet Reno believe. For the record, Mulaskey and Gonzalez were poor AG's. Ashcroft was a disappointment. Reno was even worse than all of them.

Why is Holder unacceptable?

1. He was deputy AG for Janet Reno. That alone raises red flags. While Reno was the Butcher of Waco, Holder wasn't part of that as he joined in 1997. There was still plenty of problems during his tenure in Stonewall Reno's cabinent.

First off, the pardons. Those have been covered in much of the news. Clinton pardoned FARQ terrorists, and Mark Rich. There was also the stonewalling of Clinton's contributions from Chinese government. While most of the hype of Clinton comes from the Vince Foster death or the Lewinsky (big deal) scandal, the worst was taking the money from Chinese government. Reno put a stop to that, and Holder was part of it.

2. Just recently, he affirmed his distain for the 2nd Amendment with his amicus brief. There's the brief. It was signed by the Reno "justice" department, including Eric Holder. The most incompetent security official in American History also signed it, Jamie Gorelick (who was also part of Reno's department). Seth Waxman (part of Reno's team) was also part of that team and is well known to gun owners in the 1990's. Just as it was a long eight years for gun owners facing discrimination from Reno, it will be another long four years under Holder as AG, as he spits on the constitution just like Reno did.

3. As a US attorney, he went after a law abiding citizen on a technicality over the DC law. This shows his overzealousness and shows an almost Mike Nifong style of judgment. From Legal Times.

In its letter (pdf), the NRA cites a criminal case from Holder’s time as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia in which a New York man was convicted of carrying a pistol without a license. Robert Bieder, who was licensed to carry a gun in New York, had brought the gun to Virginia for recreational purposes and, while returning to New York, stopped in Washington to visit the U.S. Capitol with his daughter. When he tried to check the gun with the Capitol Police, Bieder was arrested.

“Pursuing this trivial case to such lengths imposed substantial costs on taxpayers, with no benefit at all to public safety,” reads the NRA letter. “A reasonable prosecutor might have exercised his discretion by sending Mr. Bieder home to New York with a far better understanding of the District’s strict gun laws. That Mr. Holder chose to do otherwise raises serious questions about his judgment.”

I know some democrats are going to mention Bush's AG's. I'm not a fan of them either. Ashcroft was a disapointment. Gonzales was a crony. Mulaskey is what I expected as he is a friend of Chuck Schumer. Reno was the worst of all of them though, going back to Waco, and her stonewalling. Holder is a yesman to Reno, and has shown distain of his own towards the constitution and needs to get defeated.

Alberto Gonzales resigns

From Forbes/AP

CRAWFORD, Texas - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned, ending a monthslong standoff with critics over the botched handling of FBI terror investigations and the firings of U.S. attorneys, officials said Monday.

The likely temporary replacement for Gonzales is Solicitor General Paul Clement, who would take over until a permanent replacement is found, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Justice Department planned a news conference for 10:30 a.m. EDT,in Washington. President Bush was expected to discuss Gonzales' departure - first reported on The New York Times' Web site - at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, before leaving on a trip to western states

I was never really a fan of his. He seemed too much like a yesman for my taste, and certainly was no friend of the 2nd Amendment. We've had much worse AGs like Janet "Waco" Reno, but we've had better. We'll see who the replacement is. Alex Kozinski or another libertarian leaner would be a great pick, but that isn't likely going to happen.