• Sections
  • Newsletters
  • Podcasts
  • Support TPM
  • Shop Merch
  • Site Info
  • About
  • Sections
  • Editors' Blog
  • News
  • Live Blog
  • Cafe
  • Muckraker
  • Morning Memo
  • Where Things Stand
  • The Weekender
  • The Franchise
  • Features
  • Support TPM
  • Memberships
  • The TPM Journalism Fund
  • Site Info
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Site Status
  • About
  • About TPM
  • Mission
  • Masthead
  • Financials
  • Careers
  • Pitch Us
Follow TPM
© 2026 TPM MEDIA LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Talking Points Memo Logo
Send Tips TPM 25th Anniversary Badge
Editors' Blog

So who dropped that

by Josh Marshall
01.17.07 | 10:54 am

So who dropped that little-known provision into the Patriot Act that allows the White House to appoint US Attorneys without getting them confirmed by the senate? We’ve been looking into this. And the hidden hand appears to be that of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) — acting at the request of the Bush/Gonzales Justice Department.

Send Tips
Josh Marshall is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TPM.
LATEST
Where Things Stand
Trump’s Blunder on Affordability This Week Was Worse Than It Appeared
05.14.26 | 6:15 pm
News
Supreme Court Keeps Mifepristone Available For Now While Alito and Thomas Seethe in Dissent
05.14.26 | 5:46 pm
The Franchise
Even the Initially Hesitant Southern States Have Now Joined GOP Race to Eliminate Black Political Representation
05.14.26 | 2:00 pm
Morning Memo
Big Round of New Trump Administration Smackdowns From Federal Judges
05.14.26 | 11:20 am
Talking Points Memo
© 2026 TPM MEDIA LLC.
Masthead Contact Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Memberships
  • Careers
  • Advertise
  • Site Status
  • FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Pitch Us
  • Terms of Use
  • CCPA Notice