Darn that "mainstream media" for thinking US Attys should have some experience as a prosecutor. Just another example of that famous "liberal" bias.

Smart move by Brand. Most people in her shoes would have jumped at this job. But she realized that she wasn't ready for it (or would be perceived as not ready for it).

ENOUGH OF THESE WORTHLESS CHRISTIAN JESUS FREAKS!!!

Wherein Lat posts yet another gushing guerilla PR ode to a member of the Fed Society... thank goodness the MSM didn't get the opportunity to get their panties in a bunch about the lack of prosecutorial qualifications of a US attorney because that totally would NOT have coordinated with this woman's alleged fabulousness!!!

The New York Times article has the tone of having its panties in a bunch... just not the intractable Gordian-knot-bunch in which they would have been had Brand accepted.

This same good sense was lacking in other Rachel. Paulose, that is.

Where are those email messages you tempted us with?

But Rachel Paulose did have SOME prosecutorial experience (about three years as an AUSA), as well as private-sector litigation experience (incl. at Williams & Connolly I think).

Perhaps you should revise the title of this post in light of the one that followed it.

This is growing tiresome, Lat. This is either a political blog devoted to your radical right-wing agenda -- however bizarre that is, in light of your sexual orientation -- or it's a blog devoted to frivolity and, um, gayness. You cannot expect your liberal readers to accept these bullshit posts extolling the virtues of political hacks. You're seriously in danger of losing me as a reader.

Since when is a radical right-wing agenda incompatible with a love of cock?

it was a smart move, but for different reasons. she didn't pass on the gig b/c she saw it being problematic for her, she passed to stay in dc as head of OLC. a more prestigious job than hanging out in grand rapids, mi to most. don't think for one second she wouldn't have taken it if she hadn't had something better coming along the pipeline.

2:07 is obviously right. Much better for her career to stay in D.C. especially since she won't have a government job come 2009.

2:07: What about Steven Bradbury? Isn't he head of OLC (awaiting confirmation)?

Best post ever - - 2:02.

Respect the cock!

at 1:10 pm.

rachel's private sector experience was at cooper carvin, a well-connected boutique for high-powered conservatives and their wannabes. (ted cruz started there after his clerkship as well, leaving only to become a domestic policy adviser to the bush 2000 campaign.)

3:30 - 1:10 didn't say rachel brand worked at W&C - em said rachel paulose did, which is correct. so at least she had some significant criminal law experience on her resume to go along with the right-wing essentials. the other rachel's family lived near my grandmother for awhile. i don't know much about her, but suffice it to say she comes from a place where virtually everyone subscribes to a very narrow, calvinist worldview that takes biblical text hyper-literally. but i'm sure that has nothing to do with why she has one of the most prestigious jobs in the country at the tender age of 33. it will be so nice when a real rain comes and washes all the scum out of doj.

5:03/4 -- sure, perhaps being a USA is more like being the head of a branch office (often with 100s of employees) of a major multinational (as the justice department sees itself!). there's some truth in that. but --

1. would you hire as the head of that branch office someone with no experience with that "product"? that is, would you hire even the head of a branch office of the Silicon Wafer Corp. to run your branch of the Steel Melting Corp.? wouldn't you ideally want someone with experience in that field (i.e., not just "law", but "prosecution")?

2. would you hire someone to be the manager of the branch office when that person has never managed anything before, ever?

3. would you hire someone who has neither the product experience nor the management experience?

i have no doubt that brand and paulose are smart. but so are 100s of mid-30s lawyers with top credentials, brains, and talent. and if you look at "older" folks (in their 40s, even!) there are literally thousands of lawyers with great credentials, and courtroom skills, plus management skills. (they tend to be a bit older than 33, because after law school and a clerkship or two, that's not a lot of time to actually get any experience.)

but they're not associates at cooper carvin, or deputies to mcnulty, or past presidents of their law school federalist society ... so they have no chance in this administration. unless they're sipping the right-wing kool-aid, they're shut out until the hilary/obama/gore administration takes over in 2008.

and don't even get me started on monica goodling. yeesh.

1:45 -- You and numerous other libs are so blinded by partisan hatred that you've become a leftist caricature of, well, a right-winger: a humorless, intolerant scold.

So now a blogger of a legal tabloid can't express his own views and admiration of a conservative wunderkid? God forbid that a blogger of all people should have an opinion.

And, 1:45, you didn't even pause to gratuituously mention David's sexual orientation because, well, that suits your own political agenda to attack those you disagree with.

1:45, you're a real pillar of tolerance and compassion. Asshole.

When the commenters started bashing Monica Goodling's competence, I assumed it was because of her educational background. It's an imperfect proxy, but not a useless one. But Brand is as well-credentialed as anyone, and probably in more select company than the "100s of mid-30s lawyers" 2:58 talks about. (True, she probably wouldn't have been a solid U.S. Attorney pick because of her experience, but then she wasn't a U.S. Attorney pick.) Now, it seems that the commenters attack any conversative in the Administration. I would have expected we could all agree that (1) there's nothing wrong with a conversative Administration choosing conversative people, at least so long as they are qualified, and (2) at least some of the choices are well qualified.

Nice of you to push Brand so much, Lat. I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with you attending her holiday party at her home. If invite you over for tea, can I get a post rumoring my iminent appointment as McNulty's replacement?

What are you thinking? I have been following her career and must say she makes me proud to fight for America. Those who are so critical step up to the plate, set the example and fight for your country. Roy Brand, SMSgt, USAF