After yesterday‘s preliminary approval vote, the Senate today gave final confirmation to David Barron, author of the Barron Memo on drone strikes, as a judge in the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals.
Today’s vote was 53-45, and pretty much identical to yesterdays, split nearly 100% along party lines, with Sens. Joe Manchin (D – WV) and Mary Landrieu (D – LA) joining the “no” votes.
The secret Barron Memo has been cited by the Obama Administration as providing them a legal justification for assassinating US citizens with drones, and without trials. The memo remains classified, but the Justice Department has promised to release a redacted version eventually, per court order.
The Justice Department has confirmed several American citizens were killed on the basis of Barron’s legal advice. Though some Republicans, like Sen. Rand Paul
(R – KY), objected to his confirmation on the basis of those killings, many also complained he was too left-leaning.
This pick by Obama seems as right wing as any by Bush. This defeats a major argument for "any Democrat" just to avoid the Republicans stacking the Court.
I understand the author of the drone memo was a loyal tool. That is just another problem with Obama. We need an actual Democrat. That means not Hillary either.
This shyster David Barron told O-Bomb-a what he wanted to hear. As a result, Barron gets rewarded with a judgeship.
Happens all the time in the District of Corruption.
It's inevitable. A corrupt empire has to fill high position with amoral corrupt jerks. Another "judge" who's going to bend over every time the government wants to break the law and abuse its citizens.
Within the last few days Congress has: approved a man who is basically a war criminal – Barron – as a judge; voted to retain the AUMF, the act that led to NSA spying and the disastrous War on Terror; and passed an NSA reform bill that does little more than acknowledge mistakes may have been made, while permitting all those mistakes to continue and expand. What's next, pay raises all round to reward their "good" work?
The precedent was set when Yoo and Bybee walked instead of being perp-walked.