Consumer Law

Gitenstein - Obama's Business As Usual

By Joe Consumer

When word emerged that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?s top lobbyist had visited the Obama transition office 16 times, and then ?pronounced himself satisfied that the incoming administration will consider the needs of corporate America,? we were left thinking, WTF did that mean? 

Well, here we go.  Obama has chosen Mark Gitenstein to head his Justice Department?s Office of Legal Policy, office overseeing legal policy and judicial nominations.  And as the Los Angeles Times reports, Gitenstein faces ethics problems because he was a lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?s Institute for Legal Reform, a group dedicated to eviscerating the civil justice system, using front groups to funnel dirty corporate money into local judicial and Attorney General campaigns, and using the deplorable practice of funding negative attack ads against pro-consumer judges and AG?s.

The consequences of this choice certainly hit home over the last week with news of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg?s bout with pancreatic cancer.  We wish her well, a full recovery and a very long future life on the bench!

Full post as published by ThePopTort on February 09, 2009 (boomark / email).