Former Rove Aide: What’s The Rush?

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Last Friday, we noted that Karl Rove’s former aide Tim Griffin, now the U.S. Attorney for Arkansas’ Eastern District, said that he would not seek confirmation in the Senate.

Since the Justice Department had declared to the press and the Senate that President Bush will in fact nominate someone for the job, this would seem to mean that Griffin’s days on the job are numbered.

It takes about two months on average for a nominee to make his way through the Senate. But that, of course, depends on the president nominating someone, and thanks to last year’s change in the law, the administration isn’t under any legal pressure to do that. And as for Griffin, he’s not packing up his things quite yet. From McClatchy:

Griffin, 38, said he would be willing to remain interim U.S. attorney until a replacement is named. Under a change in the law last year, that means he could stay in office until the end of President Bush’s term.

“I will be here as long as the White House and Department of Justice wants me here,” he said. “Under the law, I could be here, hypothetically, until end of 2008 or early 2009.”

Actually, to be exact, the law says that Griffin could stay on the job until he is replaced. But apparently even Griffin doesn’t entertain the notion that the next administration, Republican or Democratic, would keep him on.

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