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Jenny Durkan Tapped for U.S. Attorney

News   February 25, 2009 at 4:26 pm Josh Feit

Jenny Durkan, the attorney who leveled Dino Rossi’s case in the 2004 election dispute, has been picked to be U.S. Attorney for Western Washington by Sen. Patty Murray. The Seattle Times has the story, but PubliCola actually heard the news on the Facebooks; former Democratic Party Chair Paul Berendt had the news in his status update.

The position, of course, attained some notoriety when President Bush’s administration went on a spree of political firings in 2006—targeting U.S. Attorneys, including John McKay in Western Washington.

Naming Durkan, a close ally and political confidante of Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, certainly reads like a bit of comeuppance for the Bush-era GOP which thrived on politicizing the Department of Justice. (The 93 U.S. Attorneys, or Federal Prosecutors as they’re called, are part of the DOJ.)


  • EvergreenRailfan

    I hope she gets confirmed and does a good job. As for a second candidate, too bad McKay could not have been rehired.

  • EvergreenRailfan

    I hope she gets confirmed and does a good job. As for a second candidate, too bad McKay could not have been rehired.

  • Roger Rabbit

    I posted it first! See comment #5 in previous thread.

  • Mark1

    Leave it to Patty “dumb-as-a-box-of rocks” Murray to appoint such corrupt incompetence. Lawyers=that slime that forms under the edges of one’s toilet bowl. Good examples of slimey little jizz-bucket posters include supposed lawyers Roger “O.C.D.” Rodent, and Goldy himself. Fitting.

  • Roger Rabbit

    @1 No reason why Durkan couldn’t hire McKay as her chief deputy if she wants to.

  • Roger Rabbit

    I posted it first! See comment #5 in previous thread.

  • Mark1

    Leave it to Patty “dumb-as-a-box-of rocks” Murray to appoint such corrupt incompetence. Lawyers=that slime that forms under the edges of one’s toilet bowl. Good examples of slimey little jizz-bucket posters include supposed lawyers Roger “O.C.D.” Rodent, and Goldy himself. Fitting.

  • Roger Rabbit

    @1 No reason why Durkan couldn’t hire McKay as her chief deputy if she wants to.

  • EvergreenRailfan

    4)Good point Roger. Anybody who will stand on principle even when it will get him fired, nothing wrong with that. The biggest mistake about that scandal, was dumping them all at once. Turns out, when a U.S. Attorney resigns, they send a letter to each other saying good-bye. McKay got one back and said, “Did you just get the same call I did”. That was from the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico that was fired. Heard that from an interview McKay did awhile back.

  • EvergreenRailfan

    4)Good point Roger. Anybody who will stand on principle even when it will get him fired, nothing wrong with that. The biggest mistake about that scandal, was dumping them all at once. Turns out, when a U.S. Attorney resigns, they send a letter to each other saying good-bye. McKay got one back and said, “Did you just get the same call I did”. That was from the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico that was fired. Heard that from an interview McKay did awhile back.

  • http://hominidviews.com/ Darryl

    Mark1 @ 3,

    What the fuck? Murray is dumb to appoint a lawyer for…umm…U.S. Attorney?

    Who were you thinking should be appointed, Joe the Plumber?

  • http://hominidviews.com Darryl

    Mark1 @ 3,

    What the fuck? Murray is dumb to appoint a lawyer for…umm…U.S. Attorney?

    Who were you thinking should be appointed, Joe the Plumber?

  • Mark1

    @6:

    No, just that particular choice. And despite the fact that some lawyers are better than others, in the end they all are slimey to a certain degree.

  • Mark1

    @6:

    No, just that particular choice. And despite the fact that some lawyers are better than others, in the end they all are slimey to a certain degree.

  • Michael

    Sweet!

  • EvergreenRailfan

    6)A lawyer as a U.S. Attorney, I never knew that was a conflict of interest. I forgot, the past 8 years the Republicans have been demonizing lawyers because they don’t always see the “Law” according the Republican platform.

  • Michael

    Sweet!

  • EvergreenRailfan

    6)A lawyer as a U.S. Attorney, I never knew that was a conflict of interest. I forgot, the past 8 years the Republicans have been demonizing lawyers because they don’t always see the “Law” according the Republican platform.

  • EvergreenRailfan

    7)Ever see John Grisham’s “The Rainmaker”. I loved the part where the lawyer played by Matt Damon said he admired civil rights lawyers, because in his opinion, they did the impossible, gave lawyers a good name. One civil rights lawyer not only argued before the Supreme Court, but eventually became a Supreme Court Justice, in the case of Justice Thurgood Marshall. Not bad for the son of a Pullman Porter(and I heard he also did a little work as one himself, in his early days).

  • EvergreenRailfan

    7)Ever see John Grisham’s “The Rainmaker”. I loved the part where the lawyer played by Matt Damon said he admired civil rights lawyers, because in his opinion, they did the impossible, gave lawyers a good name. One civil rights lawyer not only argued before the Supreme Court, but eventually became a Supreme Court Justice, in the case of Justice Thurgood Marshall. Not bad for the son of a Pullman Porter(and I heard he also did a little work as one himself, in his early days).

  • proud leftist

    Mark1 @ 7
    “No, just that particular choice. And despite the fact that some lawyers are better than others, in the end they all are slimey to a certain degree.”

    Jenny Durkan has more integrity in her stool than you do. She is an excellent choice. With regard to your lawyer comment, I guess you are not aware of how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were employed before they got into politics. Or, how about Mahatma Ghandi (sp?), what was his profession? Without lawyers, there would be no rule of law. Period. Anti-lawyer rhetoric long ago became tiresome. Let’s see–CEOs of major corporations are above reproach, right? Go get an education before you spew.

  • proud leftist

    Mark1 @ 7
    “No, just that particular choice. And despite the fact that some lawyers are better than others, in the end they all are slimey to a certain degree.”

    Jenny Durkan has more integrity in her stool than you do. She is an excellent choice. With regard to your lawyer comment, I guess you are not aware of how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were employed before they got into politics. Or, how about Mahatma Ghandi (sp?), what was his profession? Without lawyers, there would be no rule of law. Period. Anti-lawyer rhetoric long ago became tiresome. Let’s see–CEOs of major corporations are above reproach, right? Go get an education before you spew.

  • EvergreenRailfan

    John Adams was a lawyer I admire, he defended the undefendable, the British Soldiers who were responsible for the Boston Massacre. Got them down to manslaughter, I believe.

  • EvergreenRailfan

    John Adams was a lawyer I admire, he defended the undefendable, the British Soldiers who were responsible for the Boston Massacre. Got them down to manslaughter, I believe.

  • proud leftist

    12
    The reality is that the Republican Party, representing people like Mark1, hate education. If someone gets a college education, let alone a graduate or professional degree of some sort, that person becomes suspect to today’s Republican. Those with education don’t take orders from His Lord and Master Rush Limbaugh very well. The GOP plan for America’s future success is to dumb everyone down. The ultimate goal? A nation of sheep.

  • proud leftist

    12
    The reality is that the Republican Party, representing people like Mark1, hate education. If someone gets a college education, let alone a graduate or professional degree of some sort, that person becomes suspect to today’s Republican. Those with education don’t take orders from His Lord and Master Rush Limbaugh very well. The GOP plan for America’s future success is to dumb everyone down. The ultimate goal? A nation of sheep.

  • Roger Rabbit

    Republicans hate the ACLU until they want a free lawyer — then, you don’t want to be standing between them and the ACLU’s front door.

    http://townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/01/17/aclu_defends_senator_larry_craig

  • Roger Rabbit

    Republicans hate the ACLU until they want a free lawyer — then, you don’t want to be standing between them and the ACLU’s front door.

    http://townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/01/17/aclu_defends_senator_larry_craig

  • http://www.mvbarer.blogspot.com/ Mike Barer

    I remember having a smoke with Jenny’s sister Kathy during Wes Uhlman gubernatorial campaign in ’76.

  • http://www.mvbarer.blogspot.com Mike Barer

    I remember having a smoke with Jenny’s sister Kathy during Wes Uhlman gubernatorial campaign in ’76.

  • Mr. Cynical

    15. Mike Barer spews:

    I remember having a smoke with Jenny’s sister Kathy during Wes Uhlman gubernatorial campaign in ‘76

    BC Bud??

  • Mr. Cynical

    15. Mike Barer spews:

    I remember having a smoke with Jenny’s sister Kathy during Wes Uhlman gubernatorial campaign in ‘76

    BC Bud??

  • http://www.homesteadbook.com/blog David

    I don’t know about these guys who keep calling Patty Murray “dumb.” Dumb as a fox I would say, as she continually gets re-elected over Republicans who under-estimate her.

  • http://www.homesteadbook.com/blog David

    I don’t know about these guys who keep calling Patty Murray “dumb.” Dumb as a fox I would say, as she continually gets re-elected over Republicans who under-estimate her.

  • http://www.benninghofflaw.com/ Melina Benninghoff

    I think that is great.

    Melina Benninghoff

  • http://www.benninghofflaw.com Melina Benninghoff

    I think that is great.

    Melina Benninghoff