An Email from Saxby Chambliss.

On March 31, I posted a piece on Dawn Johnsen,Obama's nominee to head the White House Office of Legal Counsel. [Obama Nominates Another Pro-Abortion Monster. ]

In that post, I described Johnsen's outrageous views on abortion and I included a link from Susan B Anthony List for anyone wishing to contact their Senators to oppose Johnsen's nomination.

Today, I received an email from one of my Senators - Saxby Chambliss -. I'm posting that email below.

Thank you for contacting me regarding the nomination of Dawn Johnsen. I appreciate hearing from you.

On January 5, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Dawn Johnsen for the position of Legal Counsel for the Department of Justice. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing on her nomination on March 19, 2009.

The Office of Legal Counsel is effectively the Executive Branch's internal final legal authority; the White House and all Executive Branch agencies look to the Office of Legal Counsel to advise them on what the law requires when policy is being formulated and implemented. Given the extraordinary power delegated to the Office of Legal Counsel, it is essential to the proper functioning of our government that the Office adhere to the long-standing tradition of providing carefully considered, detached, and non-political legal advice.

Ms. Johnsen's position on several key national security issues gives me great concern, leading me to believe she might exercise the legal authority of the Office of Legal Counsel in ways that will constrain the ability of our government to protect the nation. Along with advocating closing Guantanamo Bay and transferring terrorist detainees to American soil, she has also suggested civilian trials for detainees. Furthermore, Ms. Johnsen publicly admitted doubts that America is "truly in a global war against violent religious radicalism", and has been outspoken on limiting the President's and intelligence community's national security powers.

I am also concerned because Ms. Johnsen has a clear record on abortion matters which are well beyond mainstream legal thought. For example, she authored a brief for the Supreme Court opposing a state law that she claimed would curtail a woman's access to abortion services, arguing such laws could result in "forced pregnancy," which she compared to "involuntary servitude, prohibited by the Thirteenth Amendment" ban on slavery.

Ms. Johnsen's record as a lawyer and as an academic on critical issues, such as national security law and abortion issues, raise serious doubts regarding her qualification to lead one of the most critical legal offices in the government. Therefore, I cannot support her confirmation.